President William Ruto has reaffirmed Kenya’s commitment to sending 1,000 police officers to Port-au-Prince, Haiti, as part of a U.N. Security Council-backed security mission, despite concerns over ongoing banditry attacks in the North Rift region.
Addressing the press alongside U.S. President Joe Biden at the White House in Washington D.C., Ruto faced questions regarding Kenya’s decision to dispatch officers thousands of kilometers away amidst domestic security challenges.
Citizen TV Journalist Ayub Abdikadir questioned the geo-political rationale behind the move, highlighting the distance between Kenya and Haiti, and the pressing security issues at home.
Responding to the queries, Ruto emphasized that while Kenya was deploying personnel to Haiti, it remained dedicated to addressing banditry within its borders.
He stated that the government had deployed 3,000 military personnel and 2,000 police officers to combat and eliminate the banditry menace in the North Rift.
Ruto further outlined ongoing efforts to reopen schools affected by the unrest.
Ruto underscored Kenya’s commitment to enhancing both domestic and regional security, citing deployments to Congo and Somalia as examples of this broader responsibility.
He stressed that deploying troops to Haiti was in line with this commitment.
Approximately 200 Kenyan police officers, drawn from elite units, were deployed to Haiti this week as part of the UN mission to Port-au-Prince.
This deployment follows Kenya’s volunteering in July 2023 to lead the mission and deploy 1,000 troops to restore order in Haiti, which has been plagued by criminal gangs.
The officers, including members of the elite Recce squad, Rapid Deployment Force, and Special Operation Group, arrived in Port-au-Prince around May 23 or 24, coinciding with President Ruto’s official visit to the United States.
Half of the platoon has been assigned to secure critical infrastructure in Port-au-Prince, while the remainder will engage criminal gangs in close-quarter combat.
Kenya’s involvement in the Haiti mission reflects its commitment to international peacekeeping efforts, despite domestic challenges.
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