Nearly 20 Kenyan police officers serving in Haiti as part of a U.N.-supported anti-gang mission have tendered resignations over the past two months, citing pay delays, poor conditions, and a lack of adequate resources.
According to three officers speaking anonymously, the resignations, which began in October, include at least five senior personnel, one of whom was a unit commander. The officers say they’ve yet to receive a response to their letters and remain active in the Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission.
Kenya’s National Police spokesperson did not comment on the situation. However, police chief Douglas Kanja stated that officers had been paid through October, a claim the officers refute, asserting their last payments were in September.
Mounting Challenges for the MSS Mission
Kenya leads the MSS mission, which has faced severe staffing and funding shortfalls. Despite pledges for a broader multinational force, only a limited number of officers from other countries have joined. Kenyan President William Ruto’s October promise to deploy an additional 600 officers also remains unfulfilled.
Conditions on the ground have compounded frustrations. Officers report inadequate ammunition to counter heavily armed gangs and describe harrowing scenes, including one officer recounting the trauma of witnessing dogs scavenging human remains in the streets.
Haiti’s gang violence has surged, with armed groups expanding control over Port-au-Prince, leaving even fewer areas unaffected. Attacks on Kenyan police positions have increased, further straining the mission.
Funding and International Response
The U.S., which has provided most of the funding, advocates for converting the MSS into a U.N. peacekeeping mission to secure additional resources. However, China and Russia remain opposed, calling for the MSS to first demonstrate stability before escalating international involvement.
The crisis coincides with Haiti’s political instability, marked by the transitional council’s dismissal of Prime Minister Ariel Henry last month and the appointment of Alix Didier Fils-Aime as his successor.
For Kenya’s deployed officers, the mission has become a test of endurance amid intensifying pressures both on the ground and within the ranks.
