Kenya has deployed a fifth contingent of 230 specialised police officers to the Gang Suppression Force (GSF) in Haiti.
The officers landed at Toussaint Louverture International Airport in Port-au-Prince on Monday, December 8, and were received by GSF Force Commander Godfrey Otunge and the President of Haiti’s Transitional Presidential Council, Laurent Saint-Cyr.
The 230 officers were accompanied by Senior Assistant Inspector General (SAIG) James Kamau and Deputy National Security Advisor Joseph Boinett.
“The personnel will form a crucial part of the United Nations authorized Gang Suppression Force approved by UN Security Council Resolution 2793 (2025). This is indeed a decisive step in GSF’s commitment to working closely with the Haitian National Police and other institutions in battling armed criminal gangs,” GSF said in a statement.
At the same time, another contingent of 100 police officers is expected to travel back to Kenya after completing their one-and-a-half-year mission in the war-ravaged Caribbean nation.
While welcoming the new troops, Haiti’s TPC Laurent Saint-Cyr commended the departing officers for the role they played during their tour of duty and assured the remaining troops of a continued harmonious working relationship among the Haitian leadership, Forces Armées d’Haïti, and the PNH.
On his part, Otunge welcomed the troops, noting that their arrival comes at a critical moment, following the expanded GSF mandate, and will play a critical role in the reinforcement, strengthening, and accelerating the progress already made by the GSF.
He further acknowledged the steadfast commitment of other nations currently in the theater who have demonstrated readiness to continue strengthening the GSF.
The troops will work in close coordination with the Haitian authorities, Les Forces Armées d’Haïti, and the PNH to restore peace in Haiti.
The deployment brings the total number of Kenyan officers serving in Haiti to more than 700. Kenyan officers first arrived in June 2024 under the Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission.
