Kenya has made a significant commitment to assist Haiti in combating the escalating gang violence that has plagued the country. Kenya's President William Ruto has announced plans to deploy an additional 600 police officers to join the ongoing mission in Haiti. This influx of personnel would bring the total Kenyan contingent in Haiti up to 1,000 officers. The decision to bolster the security forces in Haiti comes in response to the persistent threat posed by gangs in Port-au-Prince and surrounding areas.

During his visit to Haiti, President Ruto expressed support for transitioning the existing Kenyan-led security mission into a full-fledged United Nations peacekeeping operation. Several other countries have also pledged to contribute approximately 1,900 more troops to enhance the peacekeeping efforts in Haiti. The situation in Haiti remains dire, with UN reports indicating that gangs are expanding their control to new regions, leading to further displacement of residents. To address these challenges, the UN Security Council is set to convene by the end of the month to decide on renewing Kenya's mandate for another 12 months, with a potential transition to a full UN mission by 2025.

President Ruto commended the Kenyan police officers stationed in Haiti for their accomplishments in recent months. Acknowledging the initial skepticism surrounding the mission, President Ruto praised the officers for the progress made in restoring security and protecting the local population. He assured the officers of his commitment to providing them with the necessary resources and equipment to effectively combat the gangs in Haiti. The Kenyan officers, currently collaborating with Haitian forces on patrols, are preparing for the arrival of the additional 600 officers who are undergoing redeployment training and are expected to be mission-ready in the coming weeks.