The Kenyan Government has responded to criticism over the move to deploy police officers to Haiti in a deal with the United States.
Critics have pointed out that the US itself was not ready to deploy troops, following failed missions in the troubled Caribbean nation in the 1990s.
Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Alfred Mutua speaking during a foreign brief on the just concluded United Nations General Assembly revealed that the US had put the matter into consideration.
In the end, the US decided not to deploy officers since Haiti was an immediate neighbour and as so could not lead the mission.
Mutua also revealed that Kenya was in a better position because the country could afford to send 1,000 soldiers, even as crime in the country surges.
The Foreign Affairs CS felt the criticism against the Kenyan government is unwarranted since the operation will not be funded by Kenyan taxpayers.
The US has agreed to fund Kenya’s police force to the tune of Ksh14 billion.
On when Kenya will send police officers to Haiti, Mutua explained that it will be January 2024.
“We expect the United Nations Mandate within the next few weeks,” he revealed what was holding back the deployment.
“We have started planning logistics, equipment, and personnel.”
According to the Foreign Affairs CS, the government had already started teaching French to police officers who would be deployed to Haiti.
The 1,000 officers who will be sent to Haiti will not be expected to engage gangs that have taken over key regions in Haiti.
Instead, the officers will be expected to guard key government installations including ports, airports, parliament and hospitals.
