Sources close to the mission reveal to AyiboPost the state of preparations. Political developments in Kenya could influence police behavior, according to analysts
The first contingent of Kenyan police landed in Haiti on June 25, 2024, with the mission to support the country’s security forces.
On the same day, their colleagues were confronting thousands of young protesters in the streets of Kenya.
The demonstrators were demanding the withdrawal of the government’s finance law under President William Ruto. They also criticized the decision to send armed forces to Haiti.
The police responded harshly to the movement.
Around forty people were killed in two weeks of protests, according to a government-funded organization report.
These deaths have exacerbated the unrest and sparked widespread criticism of the police and the president, whose resignation is now being demanded.
« We must ensure they hear us, » says John Mwangi, one of the protesters.
The 23-year-old journalism student opposes the finance law and the government’s decision to send police to Haiti.
« I think we should have solved our internal problems before trying to address others’ issues, » he told AyiboPost.
The demonstrators were demanding the withdrawal of the government’s finance law under President William Ruto. They also criticized the decision to send armed forces to Haiti.
The law, which has since been withdrawn, aimed to increase taxes on essential goods like bread and vegetable oil.
The collected funds would have helped repay over $80 billion in public debt that Kenya has accumulated over the years from countries like China, or institutions like the International Monetary Fund or the World Bank.
The debt represents about 70% of the country’s gross domestic product, the highest level in 20 years.
Most of the billions were invested in sometimes fictitious infrastructure projects. Others were tainted by corruption, poorly designed, and often underutilized, according to reports.
The IMF demands austerity measures to secure additional loans.
Read also: A look inside the agreement signed with Kenya for the multinational force
According to analysts, sending troops to Haiti is part of a broader strategy to help Kenya reduce its debt and strengthen its economy.
During a visit to the United States last May, President Ruto secured the support of Joe Biden’s administration for debt relief measures.
But Kenya’s involvement in the security crisis in Haiti could cost William Ruto politically.
The collected funds would have helped repay over $80 billion in public debt that Kenya has accumulated over the years from countries like China, or institutions like the International Monetary Fund or the World Bank.
Sending troops to Haiti remains an unpopular decision in Kenya.
According to two media sources in the country, very few television channels reported the landing of the first contingent.
The brutality of the police towards protesters has led some to wish death upon the police in Haiti, evidenced by dozens of online posts reviewed by AyiboPost.
Screenshot of a post on X expressing hostility towards the presence of Kenyan troops in Haiti, even wishing death upon the police officers.
At the beginning of the month, the General Inspection Service of the National Police Service had to issue a statement to refute the ‘baseless, unpatriotic, and malicious’ rumor of the killing of seven officers in Haiti.
Statement from the General Inspection Service of the National Service in Kenya released on July 1, 2024, to refute rumors of the killing of seven officers from the country in Haiti.
On the day of the landing, protesters set fire to part of the parliament, torched businesses, and blocked the capital, Nairobi.
The potential for political fallout is significant, which may lead MSS leaders to act cautiously to avoid criticism in Haiti, analysts say.
« We risk seeing the bodies of police officers on mission in Haiti arriving in Nairobi, » a Kenyan investigative journalist told AyiboPost. « If that happens, Ruto, already very unpopular, will be forced to resign. »
In Haiti, Kenyan officers are undertaking reconnaissance missions with their Haitian counterparts, without engaging in combat.
A Kenyan police officer stationed outside the US Embassy in Haiti on July 5, 2024. | © Jean Feguens Regala/AyiboPost
Two independent sources close to the mission reveal to AyiboPost that they are awaiting equipment and other troops.
The police are « ready » and « very motivated, » according to one of the sources. They have the « capacity to expel » gangs from the territories they have controlled for several years.
« The agents are training and gradually acclimatizing to this new working environment, » another source told AyiboPost.
Read also : Exclusif | Izo construit un wharf en attente des Kenyans
Meanwhile, gangs continue their destructive and violent activities.
At least two citizens were kidnapped last week in Port-au-Prince.
In the commune of Gressier, thousands of residents are fleeing their homes after attacks by criminals.
In May 2024, an AyiboPost article revealed the construction of a wharf south of the capital by the 5 Segonn gang led by Johnson André, aka Izo, in the Village de Dieu.
According to experts, this structure is expected to be used to move soldiers, weapons, and drugs.
The work continues, according to new images obtained by AyiboPost. The height of the walls and the observed holes reinforce the idea of an infrastructure built for combat.
Progress of the construction of a wharf in Village de Dieu, stronghold of the « 5 Seconds » gang led by Johnson (Izo) André.
Jimmy Cherizier, head of the powerful gang coalition Viv Ansanm, calls on the government for dialogue in several videos shared on social media.
Returning from a trip to the United States on July 6, Prime Minister Gary Conille has prioritized reclaiming territories controlled by gangs. He had previously asked gangs to recognize the authority of arms before any dialogue.
Contrary to information circulated in the press, the notification of this trip to the USA was received by the presidency on June 27, 2024, according to an acknowledgment of receipt obtained by AyiboPost.
Letter from Prime Minister Gary Conille to the President of the Presidential Council Edgard Leblanc Fils to announce his trip to Washington on June 26, 2024.
Receipt of Prime Minister Garry Conille’s letter by the Presidency on June 27, 2024, one day before his trip to the United States.
The Kenyan force and the Haitian National Police remain optimistic.
« There is no room for failure on our side in executing our mandate, » declared MSS Commander-in-Chief Godfrey Otunge during a press conference with the PNH chief on Monday.
The success of this mission will also determine the future of the Presidential Council and the new government.
There is no room for failure on our side in executing our mandate.
Godfrey Otunge
Half of the country is calling for humanitarian assistance.
Half a million displaced people want to return home, in a context where the country has had no elected officials since the assassination of former President Jovenel Moïse in July 2021.
Amid the rumors and crowding at the Ministry of Communication, Althémany Clifford waits « impatiently » for the day he can finally sleep in a real bed.
The language teacher was chased out with his son by gangs in Carrefour-Feuilles in April 2024.
For four months, the two men have eaten poorly and struggled to find potable water.
Read also: A teacher’s covert journey from Barbecue’s stronghold to Santo Domingo
The arrival of the first contingent of Kenyan police on June 25 was a breath of fresh air for Clifford.
« I am at my wit’s end, » he sighs to AyiboPost. « A bit of security is all I ask. »
By Wethzer Piercin & Widlore Mérancourt
Cover image : A Kenyan police officer stationed near the American Embassy in Tabarre on July 5, 2023. | Jean Feguens Regala/AyiboPost.
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