Kenya and Haiti Sign Deal for Deployment of 1,000 Police Officers

President William Ruto (far right), and Haiti Prime Minister Ariel Henry (far left) witnessed the signing of the agreement on the deployment of 1,000 police officers to Haiti.
President William Ruto (far right), and Haiti Prime Minister Ariel Henry (far left) witnessed the signing of the agreement on the deployment of 1,000 police officers to Haiti.
Photo

Kenya and Haiti have formalised the deployment of 1,000 police officers to the Carribean country. 

The agreement was signed on Friday, March 1, by Interior Cabinet Secretary (CS) Kithure Kindiki and the Haiti Security Minister at State House.

Also present were President William Ruto and Haiti Prime Minister Ariel Henry. 

The deal comes despite a court order that barred the deployment plan, terming it as unconstitutional. 

President William Ruto and former Haiti Prime Minister Ariel Henry, at State House, Nairobi on February 29, 2024.
President William Ruto and former Haiti Prime Minister Ariel Henry, at State House, Nairobi on February 29, 2024.
PCS

The Haiti Prime Minister arrived in the country on Thursday, after an invitation from President William Ruto, which he stated was to finalise the agreement between the two states to send Kenyan troops to the troubled country. 

In the meeting held at the state house, Ruto promised to help Haiti solve the gang problem in the Caribbean nation, as the two countries share the same origin. 

"We are offering the experience and expertise of our police officers in the Multinational Security Support Mission in Haiti as mandated by the United Nations Security Council and as guided by our courts," Ruto stated.

This comes after a gang staged an attack, sieging Haiti's main airport, government agencies, and police stations, which paralysed operations in the country on Thursday, February 29. 

In a video circulating on social media, Jimmy Cherizier, leader of the gang federation G9 Family and Allies, revealed that a plan was underway to seize control of the government operations. 

Warning Prime Minister Henry not to return from Kenya, the gang leader further directed his crew to reign on police posts, leading to the death of four people. 

On January 26, the High Court in Nairobi through a ruling delivered by Judge Chacha Mwita declared police deployment to Haiti unconstitutional, adding that the National Security Police could not deploy police officers outside the country.

US Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-greenfield speaking at a conference on Monday revealed that Benin has also offered 2,000 troops to support the planned Kenyan-led international force to Haiti.

A photo collage of Haiti Gang patrolling Port-au-Prince and President William Ruto greeting Haiti Prime Minister Ariel Henry at State House, Nairobi on February 29, 2024.
A photo collage of Haiti Gang patrolling Port-au-Prince and President William Ruto greeting Haiti Prime Minister Ariel Henry at State House, Nairobi on February 29, 2024.
Photo
PBS, PCS
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