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Demonstrators raise their hands as they approach a police block during a protest against gang-related violence in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, March 26 2025. Picture: REUTERS/JEAN FEUENS REGALA
Nairobi — Two Kenyan police officers in Haiti have been seriously injured in clashes with gangs over the past week, adding to the mission’s growing list of casualties as it comes under frequent attack.
Kenya first deployed officers last June to the Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission in Haiti, which has about 1,000 security personnel, about three-quarters of them from Kenya.
The mission, aimed at restoring enough security for Haiti to hold elections by February 2026, has faced morale issues almost from the start and uncertainty about its possible expansion amid escalating gang violence.
It suffered its first fatality in February, and the MSS reported another Kenyan officer missing last week. Three officers, who asked not to be named for fear of reprisal, said he was believed to be dead.
They said the two injuries happened during routine patrols in and around the capital, Port-au-Prince, which is mostly controlled by heavily armed gangs blamed for thousands of deaths since 2021.
MSS spokesperson Jack Ombaka confirmed two officers had been evacuated to the Dominican Republic for medical care.
“As in any mission, casualties are sometimes unavoidable,” he said.
The three officers said the gangs were regularly attacking them and complained that their equipment was inadequate.
They said one of the officers was shot in the head after a bullet pierced his helmet and the other was hit in the ear when a gunshot penetrated the walls of an armoured vehicle.
Twenty armoured vehicles have been grounded since this weekend after officers refused to use them, complaining that this was the second time a vehicle had failed to stop a bullet, the three officers said.
An MSS delegation plans to travel to Washington this week to present concerns over the quality of protective equipment to US officials, two senior MSS officers said.
The US has provided most of the funding and equipment for the mission, which has struggled to secure contributions from other countries.
Kenya’s government has cited humanitarian reasons for its intervention in Haiti, though analysts say the deployment is also motivated by a desire to boost the country’s international profile and win favour with the US.
Asked about equipment concerns, Ombaka said: “MSS continues to receive increased logistical support from partners and stakeholders, with assurances that all equipment meets international standards.”
The US state department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Support our award-winning journalism. The Premium package (digital only) is R30 for the first month and thereafter you pay R129 p/m now ad-free for all subscribers.
Kenyan police in Haiti wounded in gang clashes
Nairobi — Two Kenyan police officers in Haiti have been seriously injured in clashes with gangs over the past week, adding to the mission’s growing list of casualties as it comes under frequent attack.
Kenya first deployed officers last June to the Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission in Haiti, which has about 1,000 security personnel, about three-quarters of them from Kenya.
The mission, aimed at restoring enough security for Haiti to hold elections by February 2026, has faced morale issues almost from the start and uncertainty about its possible expansion amid escalating gang violence.
It suffered its first fatality in February, and the MSS reported another Kenyan officer missing last week. Three officers, who asked not to be named for fear of reprisal, said he was believed to be dead.
They said the two injuries happened during routine patrols in and around the capital, Port-au-Prince, which is mostly controlled by heavily armed gangs blamed for thousands of deaths since 2021.
MSS spokesperson Jack Ombaka confirmed two officers had been evacuated to the Dominican Republic for medical care.
“As in any mission, casualties are sometimes unavoidable,” he said.
The three officers said the gangs were regularly attacking them and complained that their equipment was inadequate.
They said one of the officers was shot in the head after a bullet pierced his helmet and the other was hit in the ear when a gunshot penetrated the walls of an armoured vehicle.
Twenty armoured vehicles have been grounded since this weekend after officers refused to use them, complaining that this was the second time a vehicle had failed to stop a bullet, the three officers said.
An MSS delegation plans to travel to Washington this week to present concerns over the quality of protective equipment to US officials, two senior MSS officers said.
The US has provided most of the funding and equipment for the mission, which has struggled to secure contributions from other countries.
Kenya’s government has cited humanitarian reasons for its intervention in Haiti, though analysts say the deployment is also motivated by a desire to boost the country’s international profile and win favour with the US.
Asked about equipment concerns, Ombaka said: “MSS continues to receive increased logistical support from partners and stakeholders, with assurances that all equipment meets international standards.”
The US state department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Reuters
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