Ruto Reveals New Timeline For Deployment Of Kenya Police To Haiti

President William Ruto on Friday, May 24 announced that the Kenyan peacekeeping police force is set to arrive in Haiti within approximately three weeks to address escalating gang violence. 

In an interview with the BBC, President Ruto confirmed that a planning team is already in Haiti coordinating with local police to prepare for the deployment.

During his recent visit to Washington DC, Ruto discussed the mission with United States (US) officials, who have urged swift deployment following the recent killing of two US missionaries in Haiti.

 "I have a team already in Haiti as I speak to you," Ruto revealed, adding "That will give us a frame of what things look like on the ground, the capabilities that are available, the infrastructure that has been set up."

Ruto assured that Kenya is moving cautiously to ensure all security concerns are addressed, including building a relationship with Haiti's police force and finalizing infrastructure.

He emphasized that the Kenyan police presence would be as a "peacemaking" force, not an occupying force, with a written agreement in place with Haiti's transitional presidential council.

The Kenyan-led multinational security force aims to restore order in Haiti, where gangs have overrun much of the country, especially since the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in July 2021.

The deployment, which will include over 1,000 Kenyan police officers, has seen some delays due to logistical issues but is now set for mid-June.

President Ruto highlighted the urgency of the mission, stating, "We shouldn't be losing people. We shouldn't be losing missionaries. We are doing this to stop more people from losing their lives to gangs."

The US, also part of the coalition, has pledged support for the expedited deployment.

On Thursday, Ruto and his US counterpart, Joe Biden, were at a loss to explain Kenya’s planned deployment of police officers to Haiti which has been driving up debate in many quarters since its announcement in October 2023.

The two Heads of State sought to address the controversy surrounding the mission when they held a joint press conference at the White House in Washington DC.

President Ruto, while responding to journalist Ayub Abdikadir's question, affirmed that the deployment of police to the Caribbean nation was Kenya's responsibility in helping countries in distress.

"I made a commitment to Kenyans to sort out insecurity in the North Rift, and I have followed that with action. As we speak there are 3,000 military officers in the North Rift and 2,000 police officers in the North Rift," the President said.

"We have renovated the first 15 schools and reopened 20 schools that were closed which is ongoing. We have made tremendous progress to create security at home."

Ruto argued that Kenya has been leading the charge in terms of helping countries in Africa regain peace and stability and Haiti would not be an exception.

He expressed that the government was 'killing two birds with one stone' by sending the police to Haiti and making progress in solving the banditry menace in the North Rift.

Biden on his part stressed that the geopolitical complexities of deploying U.S. troops to Haiti, a neighbouring country, necessitated an alternative approach. 

"For us to deploy forces in the hemisphere raises all kinds of questions that can be easily misrepresented about what we are trying to do," Biden explained.

He added, "We set out to find a partner or partners who would lead that effort, and we would participate not with American forces but with supplies and making sure they have what they need."

Ayub Abdikadir: Why are you committing to Haiti when schools in Baringo and Turkana have not opened because of the banditry problem?

Ruto: I made a commitment to Kenyans to solve the banditry problem in the North Rift and I have followed that with action.#ViralVideos pic.twitter.com/V4ovsrSjQT — Viral Tea Ke (@ViralTeaKe) May 23, 2024