More than 200 Kenyan police officers are on standby to be deployed to Haiti following the reopening of Toussaint Louverture International Airport and Guy Malary domestic airport in Port-au-Prince. The airports, closed in November after gang gunfire struck aircraft, have resumed operations, allowing plans to proceed for the Kenyan-led Multinational Security Support Mission (MSS).
Haiti’s escalating violence has claimed 5,000 lives this year, with gangs controlling 80% of Port-au-Prince. The reopening follows the Federal Aviation Administration’s 30-day ban on U.S. flights to Haiti, imposed after an incident where a Spirit Airlines flight was hit by bullets, injuring a crew member.
Kenya has already deployed around 400 officers, and the new contingent includes an all-female Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team. These officers, drawn from the General Service Unit (GSU), Anti-Stock Theft Unit, and Rapid Deployment Unit, are trained to handle gender-specific cases and will support operations alongside other MSS forces.
Haiti’s security challenges include recent brutal gang violence that left 184 dead in Port-au-Prince over the weekend. UN reports indicate that a gang leader orchestrated killings targeting voodoo practitioners, claiming they caused his son’s illness.
MSS commander Godfrey Otunge highlighted progress in weakening gang influence, including recapturing police stations and restoring order in the Artibonite Department. The MSS, supported by ten nations contributing around 2,900 troops, continues efforts to stabilize Haiti.
Despite the Kenyan-led mission, gang dominance and violence persist, displacing over 700,000 people, half of them children, as per UN estimates.
