Kenya’s Interior Minister, Kithure Kindiki, confirmed Thursday that assessment teams will visit Haiti before the country dispatches police officers to help curb gang violence in the Caribbean nation.
“We will conduct several pre-mission assessments in Haiti with various stakeholders before our officers begin their assignment there,” Kindiki said during a session with a parliamentary committee.
Earlier in August, an initial Kenyan fact-finding delegation visited Haiti to gauge the situation.
Kindiki expressed confidence in the Kenyan officers’ capabilities, highlighting their past successful assignments in countries such as Namibia, Cambodia, the former Yugoslavia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, and Sierra Leone. “Our officers have shown their mettle in challenging environments globally, and I have no doubt they’ll rise to the occasion in Haiti,” he stated.
The Interior Minister also mentioned the active roles Kenyan police officers play as part of security contingents in conflict zones like the Democratic Republic of Congo, Somalia, and South Sudan.
However, Kindiki emphasized that any deployment would strictly adhere to all legal mandates. “Before we make any moves, we must obtain clearances, including those from the parliament and the senate,” he added.
The UN gave a nod last week for the Kenyan police officers’ deployment to Haiti. However, a court ruling on Monday temporarily halted the process, seeking clarity on its constitutionality.
