Kenya deploys new police contingent to Haiti as security crisis deepens: Video
A contingent of 230 Kenyan police officers arrived in Port-au-Prince on Monday as part of ongoing international efforts to reinforce public security in Haiti and contain the expansion of powerful armed gangs.
Their deployment marks the latest phase of foreign assistance aimed at stabilising a country where violence has surged and state institutions remain under severe pressure.
Laurent Saint-Cyr, President of the Haitian Presidential Transitional Council (PTC), welcomed the officers during an official ceremony, stating that the new arrivals will work alongside Haiti’s National Police and the Armed Forces to help secure the planned 2026 elections. “Haiti needs this support. The restoration of security is an imperative to allow the holding of elections,” he said, pledging visible results for the population.
The arrival of the new contingent coincided with the departure of another group of 100 Kenyan officers who completed their mission and returned home. Saint-Cyr thanked them for their service, expressing “eternal gratitude” on behalf of the nation and wishing them a safe return to their families.
The reinforcements come as Haiti awaits the full deployment of the Gang Repression Force (GRF), which is expected to reach 5,500 personnel. According to the UN, the GRF is intended to significantly weaken gang control and improve living conditions within a year of its full mobilisation.
The scale of the challenge remains immense. In 2024 alone, gang violence in Haiti reportedly left at least 5,600 people dead, more than 2,200 injured, 1,494 kidnapped, and over one million internally displaced. Between April and June 2025, authorities recorded a further 1,520 killings and more than 600 injuries, underscoring the country’s ongoing security emergency.
This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
