Haitian Prime Minister Garry Conille has arrived in Kenya for a four-day official visit.
During his stay, the Prime Minister is expected to hold meetings with President William Ruto and other senior government officials. The discussions will focus on expediting the deployment of an additional 600 police officers to Haiti to assist in restoring peace in the region.
Kenya had previously pledged to send 600 more police officers to Haiti to help tackle the gangs that have taken control of the capital, Port-au-Prince, and surrounding areas. Kenyan police contingents have been stationed in Haiti since June, aiding the Caribbean nation’s police force in combating violent gangs that have besieged large portions of the impoverished country.
While in Haiti, President Ruto expressed his support for transforming the current Kenya-led security mission into a full United Nations peacekeeping operation. Addressing Kenyan police officers at their base in Port-au-Prince, Ruto praised their achievements over the past few months.
“There were many who thought Haiti was a mission impossible, but today they have changed their minds because of the progress you have made,” Ruto said.
He reiterated confidence in the success of the mission against the gangs and promised to secure better equipment for the officers.
“Our next batch, an additional 600, is undergoing redeployment training. We will be mission-ready in a few weeks’ time and look forward to the necessary support to enable their deployment,” he added.
