- Kenya is preparing to bring home the last group of about 400 officers from Haiti next week.
- The team has spent a year supporting the UN-backed mission to stabilise the country.
- A smaller group of 170 officers will fly from Nairobi this weekend to manage the transition.
Kenya’s peace support work in Haiti is entering its final stage. The last batch of roughly 400 officers is expected back in the country next week, marking the end of a mission that tested Kenya’s security forces in one of the world’s most unstable environments.
The deployment started in June 2024 with 800 officers from specialised units such as the General Service Unit, Rapid Deployment Unit and Anti-Stock Theft Unit. They served under the Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission, a UN-backed effort to help restore order in Haiti.
Commander Geoffrey Otunge led the team as they worked side by side with the Haitian National Police. Their duties included patrolling violent neighbourhoods, guarding hospitals and ports, and offering training to local officers in a country where gangs still dominate most parts of the capital.
Some team members already in Port-au-Prince have now shifted to the northern base at Port-de-Paix to maintain stability before the final departure.
To avoid any security gap, a new group of 170 Kenyan officers will leave Nairobi this weekend. Their task is to manage the handover process until the remaining officers complete the withdrawal.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio commended Kenya’s role, saying the country carried a “huge burden” that prevented Haiti from spiralling into complete chaos.
The exit overlaps with a new UN Security Council decision to replace the MSS with a larger and more aggressive unit known as the Gang Suppression Force (GSF). The GSF will have up to 5,550 troops and is tasked with dismantling criminal networks and preparing the ground for long-postponed elections.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has already hinted that the returning officers will be redeployed to help handle Kenya’s own challenges, including urban gangs and long-running cattle rustling conflicts.
Although Kenya has received praise for discipline and professionalism, the mission also faced criticism. At least eight Kenyan officers were injured, and questions were raised about the long-term sustainability of foreign missions in Haiti, a country still healing from past interventions linked to disease outbreaks and misconduct.
