The Kenyan government has revealed that it is facing a challenge in the number of Kenyan police deployed for the peacekeeping mission in Haiti.
In an official statement on Tuesday, Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi revealed that while 2,500 police officers had been approved for the Multinational Security Support (MSS) Mission in Haiti, only 36 per cent, representing 900 police officers, had been deployed.
''While there are some gains made since the arrival of our contingent, there are numerous challenges, including a low number of deployments which is now about 36 per cent of the approved number of 2,500," read part of the statement.
The MSS mission was authorized by the United Nations Security Council in October 2023 to help restore law and order in Haiti, which has been struggling with gang violence and instability.
Since then, the Kenyan police have been in the country working to restore peace.
While acknowledging the help it has been receiving from the international community in the mission, Kenya has called for further support from the United Nations (UN) to enable it to meet the mission's agenda.
"While grateful to partners who continue to support the mission, more is needed from the wider international community to improve on equipment, personnel, and to find a mechanism that brings the UN to the center of the endeavor to help Haiti achieve lasting peace," the statement continued.
The developments come at a time when the Kenyan troops in Haiti have already lost two police officers to Haitian gang members.
Kenyan officer Samwel Tompoi Kitwai was the first casualty, losing his life in February during an operation in the Ségur-Savien area, where he succumbed to injuries sustained in one of the gang attacks.
Barely a month later, Kenya lost Benedict Kabiru, who was killed during an ambush by gangs in the Artibonite region. His body was reportedly taken by the attackers, and efforts to recover it are ongoing.
In addition to the two fatalities, another two officers were seriously injured during separate deadly clashes between the police and the gangs.
In a past interview with Reuters, the officers who spoke anonymously decried more challenges in the mission, including a shortage of equipment, armor, and vehicles unable to stop bullets.
Meanwhile, Mudavadi has assured that despite the challenges, Kenya is committed to the mission which is currently authorized until October 2025.
