Fourth contingent of Kenya police arrives in Haiti
The fourth contingent of Kenyan police officers, joining the ever-expanding MSS Mission, arrived in Haiti on Thursday aboard a Kenya Airways (KQ) aircraft.
The latest group of 144 police officers consists of 120 men and 24 women, reinforcing the 600 officers deployed earlier.
Haitian government officials welcomed the Kenyan contingent, led by the President of the Transition Presidential Council (TPC), Leslie Voltaire, along with Prime Minister Didier Fils-Aimé, Haiti National Police Director General Normil Rameau, and MSS Force Commander Godfrey Otunge. Several ambassadors were also present, including Marco PeñÃn Toledano (Spain), Dennis B. Hankins (USA), Antoine Michon (France), and André François Giroux (Canada).
The Kenyan government had pledged to send 1,000 personnel, and the arrival of the new team is a significant step towards achieving the MSS mission’s mandate.
Among the latest Kenyan personnel is an elite all-female SWAT team, a highly skilled tactical unit bringing specialised expertise to the field. The SWAT team, like their male counterparts, is expected to enhance operations as they collaborate with the Haitian National Police (HNP).
Two days earlier, on Tuesday, the MSS welcomed a contingent from El Salvador, which brought specialized air support capabilities to the mission.
International and national partners have played a crucial role in this deployment phase, with countries such as the USA, Canada, Germany, France, Italy, Turkey, and South Korea fulfilling their commitments to support the mission.
Additionally, operational capabilities have significantly improved. Air support has been strengthened with reinforcements from El Salvador, maritime capabilities have been bolstered by contributions from the Bahamas, and land operations have been enhanced with equipment provided by donor nations.
Shortly after the arrival of the Kenyan troops, a Ukrainian cargo plane arrived from El Salvador carrying three helicopters designated for medical evacuations (Medevac) and casualty evacuations (Casevac).