“At no time were there any Kenyan police officers present on the scene,” one of the police officers told AyiboPost
The Kenyan multinational force in Haiti claims to have regained control of the State University of Haiti (HUEH) hospital in Port-au-Prince, in a publication on its X account.
Three agents of the Haitian National Police (PNH) – including two who participated in the July 7, 2024 operations in question – dispute this version of the facts to AyiboPost.
“At no time were there any Kenyan police officers present on the scene,” one of the police officers told AyiboPost.
Haitian police officers in operation in the lower part of Port-au-Prince.| Jean Feguens Regala/AyiboPost
The links from the multinational force’s various social media accounts were shared by an official source from the mission in Haiti, whom AyiboPost met with in person.
Mission-related publications, such as press releases and meeting minutes, are published on the same account.
The Kenyans’ most recent publication, dated July 18, highlights the “significant successes” and “important advances” achieved by the foreign police officers since their arrival in the country.
“The team continues its operations in Haiti after regaining control of the public hospital which was under the control of the gangs,” reads this press release signed by the commander in chief of the multinational force, Godfrey Otunge.
MMAS note published on July 18, 2022 on his X account (Twitter).
A Haitian police officer who took part in the operation at the general hospital denounces a disinformation campaign.
The police operation at the general hospital was carried out by Departmental Unit for the Maintenance of Order (UDMO) agents, SWAT, and the Research and Intervention Brigade (BRI) on the evening of July 7, according to three police sources, including a senior executive from Port-au-Prince.
On July 10, a Kenyan media outlet was first to report the participation of Kenyans in this operation.
“It was an intervention carried out exclusively by PNH units,” assert the two police officers who took part in the operation.
“The space was no longer occupied by the bandits at the time,” says one of the sources, adding that the national police officers returned home around eight in the evening, after the operation.
A Haitian police officer who took part in the operation at the general hospital denounces a disinformation campaign.
The police observed material damage in what is Port-au-Prince’s largest hospital. The institution has not been operating for several months due to gang violence.
When asked about the Haitian police officers’ repudiations, the Kenyan source within the mission maintains the involvement of foreign officers. « Sometimes you don’t have to take all the credit, the source said. This builds up the PNH. It puts them in the spotlight. »
State officials, including Prime Minister Garry Conille, Presidential Advisor Louis-Gérald Gilles and Police Chief Normil Rameau, visited the HUEH premises the day after the operation.
No Kenyan presence was observed on site. Nor was there any mention of them in subsequent announcements from the Haitian authorities.
Yesterday, Wednesday, a patrol made up of Haitian and Kenyan police officers went to downtown Port-au-Prince in new armored vehicles.
During this exercise, one of the vehicles broke down. The source within the mission explained to AyiboPost that this was a temporary operational problem.
Read also: What are Kenyans waiting for to act against the bandits?
In a message to the nation broadcast on the night of July 15, Haitian Prime Minister Garry Conille declared a state of emergency in 14 communes controlled by gangs.
The head of the primature reiterated his government’s desire, as well as that of the police forces, to gradually reclaim the territories under the control of the gangs.
Questioned about the Haitian police officers’ repudiations, the Kenyan source within the mission maintained the involvement of foreign officers.
On July 16, a second contingent of Kenyan police officers arrived in Haiti, bringing their number to around 400 officers. This landing comes after a first contingent of just over 200 officers arrived in Haiti on June 25, 2024.
This second contingent left Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, in a context marred by a serious socio-political crisis.
Some demonstrations, at times violent, are taking place amid demands for President William Ruto’s resignation.
Highly contested, the head of state has dismissed nearly his entire cabinet this week after backtracking on a heavily criticized finance law.
Concurrently, a team of senior officials from Jamaica arrived in the country to carry out a pre-deployment assessment of their police officers who will join the mission.
By Widlore Mérancourt & Wethzer Piercin
Cover image edited by AyiboPost illustrating the contested takeover of the State University of Haiti Hospital (HUEH) by Kenyan MMAS.| © Photos : Jean Feguens Regala/AyiboPost
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