Kenya sends reinforcements to Haiti anti-gang mission
Kenya deployed 230 additional police officers to Haiti on Monday as part of a multinational effort to combat the Caribbean nation's powerful criminal gangs, which now control vast portions of the capital.
The reinforcements arrived as 100 Kenyan officers completed their rotation, according to a Haitian government source. The deployment aims to maintain pressure on armed groups amid Haiti's deepening political and security crisis.
Criminal gangs have devastated Haiti for years, with violence intensifying dramatically since early 2024 when armed groups forced Prime Minister Ariel Henry to resign. The United Nations estimates these groups now control 90 percent of Port-au-Prince, where murders, rapes, kidnappings, and looting have become rampant.
The security collapse has unfolded against a backdrop of chronic political instability. Haiti, the poorest country in the Americas, has not held elections in nine years and currently operates under a transitional government. Legislative and presidential elections are scheduled for summer 2026.
In 2023, the UN Security Council approved a Kenyan-led multinational security mission to support Haiti's overwhelmed police force. However, the operation has struggled to meet its objectives, hampered by insufficient resources and personnel.
The mission has deployed only 1,000 of the anticipated 2,500 officers, leaving it under-equipped and underfunded to address the massive security challenge. The limited force has fallen short of containing the gangs' territorial control and violence.
Recognizing these shortcomings, the UN Security Council approved development of a more robust anti-gang force in late September. The decision reflects international acknowledgment that current efforts remain inadequate to restore order.
Despite Monday's reinforcements, the mission continues facing an uphill battle against well-armed gangs that have entrenched themselves across Haiti's capital, perpetuating a humanitarian crisis affecting millions of Haitians living under gang rule.