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His visit, however, comes hot on the heels of concerns by the officers and their families back at home over the delayed disbursement of their salaries.
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August 25 marked exactly two months since the officers landed in the nation ravaged by gang violence.
Image: FILE
United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken begins a two-day tour of Haiti Thursday as he seeks to shore up the UN-backed Multinational Security Support (MSS) in the nation.
Blinken, according to a statement from the State Department’s spokesperson Mathew Miller, is set to meet the Transitional Presidential Council Coordinator Edgard Leblanc Fils.
He is also scheduled to hold talks with Prime Minister Garry Conille.
Their talks, he said, will be centred on the forthcoming steps in Haiti’s democratic transition and US support to the Haitian people through humanitarian assistance and Haitian-led stabilization efforts.
Blinken will further meet the leadership of the MSS mission.
Kenya’s Godfrey Otunge is the force commander and currently leads a contingent of about 400 security officers drawn from the various units of the National police service.
Kenya is set to deploy at least 1,000 officers.
The meetings, Miller stated, emphasise US commitment to supporting the re-establishment of security in Haiti while also underscoring the significance of promoting respect for human rights.
His visit, however, comes hard on the heels of concerns by the officers and their families back at home over the delayed disbursement of their salaries.
August 25 marked exactly two months since the officers landed in the nation ravaged by gang violence.
The first team landed there on June 25 while the second one arrived a month later on July 16.
The team had claimed they are yet to receive the salaries under the UN-backed mission.
Each of the officers in the mission is supposed to get at least Sh100,000 above the salaries that they get as police officers in Kenya.
They have since been paid.
The current mission is supported by the United Nations, with much of the contributions coming from the US.
The officers recently received 24 new APCs from the UN for their operations.
US Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs Brian Nichols said recently that they are looking at several options, including a formal UN peace-keeping operation, that could help ensure the mission has reliable financing and staffing going forward.
Blinken will also visit the Dominican Republic to meet with President Luis Abinader.
“In Santo Domingo, Blinken and Abinader will reinforce our close and longstanding partnership, and discuss collaboration to advance inclusive economic growth and champion human rights,” said Miller.
The talks will also include the promotion of good governance, security, and climate resilience in the region, including through the US-Caribbean Partnership to Address the Climate Crisis (PACC 2030) and the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative (CBSI).