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Kenyan police officers in Haiti hit 600 as 217 more deployed

CS Kipchumba Murkomen sees off the second contingent of Kenya police officers to Haiti

The number of Kenyan police officers in a security mission in Haiti has crossed the 600th mark after 217 more officers left for the Caribbean nation on Friday night.

The batch of 217 will add to the 400 sent to Haiti in May 2024 to flush out gangs as part of a United Nations-backed Multinational Security Support Mission.

Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen posted on his Facebook account that the Kenyan-led mission “has made tremendous progress in reducing gang violence, earning praise across the globe, including from both the outgoing and incoming US administrations”.

However, an investigation by the New Humanitarian and Nation.Africa recently revealed that the mission has achieved little success due to underfunding and lack of proper equipment. In fact, the investigation found, gangs have spread into at least seven villages since the mission started. Those villages had earlier been spared.

However, Mr Murkomen in his post maintained that Kenya will fight to the wire.

“Our commitment to this historic mission is unwavering and we will continue to mobilise all the necessary international support for it to succeed,” wrote the Interior boss.

Among those present during the departure of the 217 officers were Inspector-General of Police Douglas Kanja, Interior Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo, the President’s National Security Advisor, Dr Monica Juma, and Mr Joseph Boinnet, the deputy national security advisor.