Haitian Police visits Kenya ahead of deployment to curb violence
By Tahiru Abba
Kanempress
14th December 2023
Haitian police chief, Frantz Elbe is in Kenya on a three-day visit ahead of plans to deploy police to help fight gang violence in the Caribbean country.
The Kenyan National Police Service said that Mr Elbe and his delegation on Wednesday met the Kenyan police chief, Japhet Koome and other senior security officials for bilateral security discussions.
The visit is part of the preparation for the deployment of the over one thousand police officers from Kenya for the controversial Multinational Mission to Support Security that the UN approved two months ago.
The first contingent of about three hundred officers is scheduled for deployment by February 2024.
Kenyan parliament had in November, approved the deployment, but a high court extended orders barring the move, pending the outcome of a legal challenge into the plan.
The plan had drawn widespread criticism, mainly due to a poor record of previous interventions in Haiti and a record of rights abuses by Kenyan police.
Kenyan main opposition leader, Raila Odinga, had also condemned the proposed deployment.
But President William Ruto had defended the plan, saying that “Africa is keen to contribute to the freedom and security of Haiti.
