Pressure is mounting on Kenyan police officers to fulfill their promise to help bring Haiti’s rampant gang violence under control, six weeks after their arrival in the Caribbean nation.
On June 25, the first contingent of 200 elite Kenyan police officers arrived in Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince. Clad in helmets and combat gear, they confidently disembarked from their Kenya Airways flight, weapons in hand, and proudly displayed the Kenyan national flag. The officers, chanting in Swahili, exuded determination as they prepared for their mission. A second group of 200 officers followed three weeks later, similarly energized.
Hopes were initially high that the Kenyan police would bolster Haiti’s National Police (PNH), which has been struggling to counter a violent offensive by Haitian criminal gangs that have terrorized the capital and much of the country for over three years. The Kenyans are part of a UN-mandated multinational force aimed at restoring peace to Haiti.
Upon their arrival, Haitian government officials and many in the media welcomed the Kenyans. Radio Independante FM, a local station, posted a message on X (formerly Twitter) in Creole, warmly greeting the Kenyans and urging them to help combat the gangs that have wreaked havoc on the country.
However, frustration has grown in Haiti as the anticipated impact of the Kenyan deployment has yet to materialize. Many Haitians are expressing disappointment and impatience with the perceived slow response of the Kenyan force and their Haitian counterparts in confronting the gangs. Criticism has surfaced in both traditional and social media, with some accusing the Kenyans of engaging in “theatrics” and labeling them as “tourists” rather than effective peacekeepers.
Despite high-profile joint patrols by Kenyan and Haitian police in Port-au-Prince, where they have exchanged gunfire with suspected gang members, the gangs appear to have tightened their grip on certain areas of the capital. Gang members have continued to attack and partially destroy police stations and maintain control over major highways leading out of the city.
Local media outlet AyiboPost questioned the Kenyan force’s delay in taking decisive action against the gangs, while online news website Le Filet Info pointedly noted that the presence of Kenyan police had failed to intimidate the criminals, who continue to target civilians.
The Kenyan contingent has already suffered its first casualty since arriving in Haiti. On July 30, a Kenyan policeman was shot in the shoulder during an encounter with gang members in Port-au-Prince. On the same day, Haitian police chief Rameau Normil, alongside Kenyan force commander Godfrey Otunge, announced that over 100 “bandits” had been killed in operations conducted under a state of emergency declared in the most gang-affected zones. However, such statements have not eased public skepticism.
Confidence in the mission was further shaken when videos surfaced online showing top Haitian government officials, accompanied by Kenyan and Haitian police, hastily retreating amid gunfire from the abandoned General Hospital in downtown Port-au-Prince, which they had claimed was under their control.
Despite the criticism, Haiti’s interim Prime Minister Garry Conille expressed his gratitude for the Kenyan support, acknowledging that the Haitian police are undermanned and in need of assistance. However, he admitted that the help has been slow to arrive and that Haitians are growing impatient.
Prominent Haitian gang leaders have openly defied the Kenyan force. Shortly after the Kenyans’ arrival, Jimmy “Barbecue” Chérizier, a notorious gang leader, posted a provocative video on X, leading his masked followers in a war dance and chanting threats against the Kenyans. Other gang leaders have followed suit, taunting both Haitian authorities and the Kenyan force while boasting of their continued attacks.
In mid-July, the Kenyan contingent launched their own X account, @MSSMHaiti, in an effort to shape the public narrative of their mission. The account shares daily reports on the Kenyans’ activities, from welcoming visiting dignitaries to conducting “reassurance” patrols in Port-au-Prince. However, the optimistic tone of these reports has sparked backlash among some Haitians, who accuse the Kenyans of exaggerating their successes or spreading “propaganda.”
