Extra police ready for Haiti in early Nov: Kenya

By AFP
October 13, 2024
President of Kenya William Ruto (R) gestures during his arrival to a joint press conference with Prime Minister of Haiti Garry Conille (L) at the State House in Nairobi on October 11, 2024. — AFP
President of Kenya William Ruto (R) gestures during his arrival to a joint press conference with Prime Minister of Haiti Garry Conille (L) at the State House in Nairobi on October 11, 2024. — AFP 

NAIROBI: An extra 600 Kenyan police officers set to join a UN-backed mission to try to quell rampant gang violence in Haiti will be ready for deployment in early November, Kenya’s police chief said Saturday.

President William Ruto had on Friday pledged the additional officers following a meeting with Haiti’s interim Prime Minister Garry Conille, as the two leaders appealed for the international community to do more.

“A contingent of 600 officers will soon join the Kenyan police already stationed in Haiti after completing pre-deployment training.” said Kenya’s Inspector General of Police, Douglas Kanja.

“Once this training is complete, the officers will be ready for departure early next month,” he said at a media briefing alongside Conille in Nairobi.

The East African country is leading the multinational mission aimed at tackling spiralling insecurity in the crime-ravaged Caribbean nation and has so far sent 400 police.