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Kenya Sends 230 Police Officers to Haiti as UN-Led Anti-Gang Mission Remains Understrength

AFP
12:08 PM, 12/09/2025
Kenya Sends 230 Police Officers to Haiti as UN-Led Anti-Gang Mission Remains Understrength

Kenya has deployed an additional 230 police officers to Haiti to reinforce a UN-backed multinational anti-gang mission as about 100 Kenyan officers ended their rotations. The mission remains understrength, with roughly 1,000 personnel deployed against a planned 2,500. The UN says gangs control about 90% of Port-au-Prince, and the Security Council has authorized work toward a more robust anti-gang force. Haiti remains governed by a transitional administration and has not held national elections in nine years.

Kenya has sent several hundred additional police officers to Haiti to bolster a UN-backed multinational mission confronting heavily armed gangs, officials said. The deployment arrived on Monday as part of routine rotations while other Kenyan personnel completed their tours.

Arrival, Departures and Capacity Gaps

A Haitian government source who spoke to AFP on condition of anonymity said 230 Kenyan police officers arrived in Haiti on Monday while about 100 Kenyan officers ended their mission and departed. The reinforcement aims to sustain pressure on gangs that continue to control large parts of the capital.

The multinational force — led by Kenya after UN Security Council approval in 2023 — remains under-resourced. It currently fields roughly 1,000 officers, far short of the 2,500 personnel originally planned, and officials have described the mission as under-equipped and underfunded.

Security Situation And International Response

The United Nations estimates armed groups now control about 90 percent of Port-au-Prince, where widespread violence, looting, kidnappings and sexual assaults have deepened a humanitarian and security crisis. Armed gangs further destabilized the country in early 2024, forcing then-Prime Minister Ariel Henry to step down.

At the end of September, the UN Security Council authorized work on creating a more robust anti-gang force for Haiti, a step intended to strengthen operations and better support Haitian law enforcement as international partners try to restore order.

Political Context

Haiti, the poorest country in the Americas, has not held national elections in nine years and is governed by a transitional administration. Legislative and presidential votes are currently scheduled for the summer of 2026, though the security environment complicates election planning and implementation.

Source: Haitian government official speaking to AFP on condition of anonymity.

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