Kenyan police in Haiti engage in heavy gunfight in deserted street

Kenyan police in Haiti engaged in a gun battle as they patrolled a deserted street in the Caribbean nation.

The officers have been patrolling the streets of Haiti with heavy armoured vehicles.

In the video, seen by the Star, the officers are seen patrolling an empty street in a convoy of five vehicles.

The area is deserted and appears ravaged by heavy fighting in the past, as many buildings have been destroyed.

One officer was on the ground directing the movement of the vehicles when, all of a sudden, a heavy gunfight erupted. Shots are fired as the few people who were in the area scamper for safety.

From the video, it was not clear if Kenyan officers had come under attack.

The team from the General Service Unit’s Recce has been patrolling the local streets and port as part of their mandate to fight gangs.

In early July, the officers received the equipment to enhance their operations. Among the equipment included armoured personnel carriers and choppers.

Officials said the team also received protective kits they will use in their operations in the troubled country.

Since they arrived in Haiti, the officers have been working closely with their host, the Haitian National Police.

The officers are said to have undertaken strategic mapping of the key areas of operational concerns and conducted several joint patrols within the gang-controlled capital, Port-au-Prince.

President William Ruto flagged off the first tranche as part of the 1,000 troops Kenya pledged to deploy to Haiti under the Multinational Security Support Mission on June 24.

The mission was authorised by the United Nations Security Council on October 2, 2023, under Resolution 2699.

The Kenyan officers are in Haiti to help combat marauding gangs that have taken over large swathes of the Caribbean country.

The Kenyan police will be joined on the mission by other teams from Chile, Jamaica, Grenada, Paraguay, Burundi, Chad, Nigeria and Mauritius.