NPS denies claims that 7 Kenyan officers have died in Haiti

The National Police Service on Monday denied claims that seven of the police officers deployed to Haiti had died.

Through its account on X, NPS denounced a clip that had made rounds on social media platforms, especially TikTok, claiming that seven of the officers had been overpowered and killed by the gangs.

NPS termed the video clip as fake.

The said video showed multiple police officers on the streets.

The reports had emerged barely a week after President William Ruto flagged off the first batch of 400 police officers who flew to Haiti to help restore peace and lead a United Nations-backed peacekeeping mission.

The freshly deployed Kenyan police officers began patrolling Port-au-Prince as part of a UN-backed mission to battle armed gangs that have taken over the capital.

A second team of Kenyan police will depart for Haiti in two weeks, officials revealed.

This is after the advance one began patrolling Port-au-Prince as part of a UN-backed mission to battle armed gangs that have taken over the capital.

The team coordinator Noor Gabow flew back to Kenya on Sunday, June 30, to oversee the planned departure of the second batch.

Gabow, with President William Ruto’s National Security Adviser  Monica Juma, had accompanied the advance team on June 24 when they arrived in Haiti. 

The more than 200 of the 400 first group arrived on June 25.

Officials said the second team is likely to leave Kenya on July 15.

“The ground is now ready to accommodate more officers and we hope they will leave in two weeks,” an official aware of the plans said. 

In Haiti, a team from the General Service Unit’s Recce patrolled the local streets and port as part of their mandate.

This came amid reports Haitian Prime Minister Garry Conille left Port-au-Prince on to travel to Washington, DC and New York.

The team held joint patrols in the areas with local officers to ensure familiarity and calm, officials said.

The teams will be posted to the local airport, port, hospital, presidential palace and main roads.