- More than 1,000 police officers will join other teams in deploying to Haiti to fight gangs terrorising locals.
- Apart from Kenya, other countries that will send officers to Haiti are; Chile, Jamaica, Grenada, Paraguay, Burundi, Chad, Nigeria and Mauritius.
Image: WILLIAM RUTO / X
President William Ruto has congratulated newly appointed prime minister of Haiti, Garry Conille.
The President said the development is a significant step for the country to forge forward.
Ruto said Kenya looks forward to working with Haiti in a peace restoration mission.
"On behalf of the Republic and People of Kenya, I extend congratulations to Hon Garry Conille, on his appointment as the Prime Minister of Haiti," the President said in a statement on Wednesday.
"This significant step is not lost on the world and signifies the desire of our brothers and sisters in Haiti to forge forward. Kenya expresses its strong solidarity with Haiti, and we look forward to working with you and your government to restore Haiti to a path of sustainable development."
Haiti has been experiencing unrest for over two years now as gangs maintain a chokehold on large swathes of territory of the Caribbean nation.
More than 1,000 Kenyan police officers are set tobe deployed to Haiti to help the country out of political and socioeconomic turmoil.
Several other countries have also pledged police, including Benin, Chile, Jamaica, Grenada, Paraguay, Burundi, Chad, Nigeria and Mauritius.
Ruto committed to work closely with the United States government to bring peace to Haiti and fight terrorism.
Ruto spoke when he met US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin at the Pentagon in Virginia during his recent trip to the United States.
"We have undertaken the responsibility bestowed on us by the international community to lead our troops to Haiti. And as I said we consider the situation in Haiti that it requires the input of all nations who believe in the rule of law and freedom," Ruto said.
"It is time that we all showed up for Haiti and I promise you that we will be working with your teams to see how we can do this together."
The Kenyan troops are from the Rapid Deployment Unit (RDU), Anti Stock Theft Unit (ASTU), General Service Unit (GSU), and Border Patrol Unit (BPU).
This is a combat-trained team that officials say can handle the situation on the ground professionally.
They have undertaken training in various areas and taken French classes in preparation for their deployment.
Ruto said the police peacekeeping police force is expected to arrive in Haiti in about three weeks.
The officers were expected to start arriving before the end of May but an advance team on the ground said some logistics are not ready hence the extension of two more weeks.
This means the latest they can arrive there if any is June 15 according to Ruto’s assertion.