Kenyan Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi, welcomed Haitian Prime Minister Garry Conille at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) . Prime Minister Conille is scheduled to engage in bilateral discussions with President William Ruto, focusing on enhancing security collaboration and building partnerships aimed at promoting stability in Haiti.
Prime Minister Conille’s visit to Kenya comes at a time when Haiti is facing heightened gang violence. In his four-day he is ecxpected to interact with Kenyan police commanders leading a contingent of officers assisting Haiti in combating gang violence. The Haitian leader is also expected to visit a police training facility where paramilitary officers are being trained for deployment. Conille emphasized that his visit is aimed at expediting the deployment of an additional 600 officers to join the contgent already stationed in Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince.
In a recent decision, the United Nations Security Council extended the mandate for an international security force for another year, aimed at aiding local Haitian police in tackling gang violence and maintaining law and order. Despite the UN’s involvement, gang-related violence remains rampant in Haiti, with a recent attack in the country’s central region claiming over 115 lives.
During his visit to Port-au-Prince on September 21, President Ruto discussed the Kenya-led Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission and its potential transition into a fully-fledged UN peacekeeping operation. The mission is expected to consist of up to 2,500 police personnel ultimatetly deployed in stages, with an estimated annual budget of $600 million. Last month, UN Secretary-General António Guterres praised Kenya, and othe countries who agreed to help stabilise Haiti.
