President Ruto speaking at the Administration Police Training College, Embakasi on June 24,2024. PHOTO: PCS
In Summary:
- President Ruto flags off the first group of 400 Kenyan police officers to Haiti for a UN-backed mission.
- New salary structures for Kenyan police officers will be implemented starting July 2024.
President William Ruto announced a new salary scale for police officers as he flagged off the first group of 400 officers departing for Haiti to help combat gang violence.
The group will leave between June 24 and 25 to lead a UN-supported mission aimed at restoring order in the gang-ridden nation.
Speaking at the Administration Police Training Campus in Embakasi, President Ruto revealed that the new salary structures for police will be effective from July 2024.
The details of the salary adjustments will be disclosed soon.
The flagged-off officers, hailing from the Rapid Deployment Unit (RDU), Anti Stock Theft Unit (ASTU), General Service Unit (GSU), and Border Patrol Unit (BPU), are trained for combat and have undergone additional preparation, including language training, to ensure they are well-equipped for their mission.
President William Ruto handed the flag to Kenyan police officers departing for a mission in Haiti at the Administration Police Training College, Embakasi, on June 24, 2024. IMAGE: PCS
Inspector General of Police Japhet Koome has appointed Senior Assistant Inspector General of Police (SAIG) Godfrey Otunge to lead the team in Haiti.
Otunge replaces Deputy Inspector General (APS) Noor Gabow, who will now coordinate operations from Nairobi. Additionally, Commissioner Stephen Chebet, head of operations for the General Service Unit, will join the mission as the head of operations.
Kenya is spearheading a 2,500-member security force, coordinating with the Haitian government on rules of engagement.
The Kenyan police force is expected to face significant challenges from well-armed gangs that have overpowered local authorities in Haiti’s capital.
In total, over 1,000 Kenyan police officers will be deployed to Haiti, alongside officers from Chile, Jamaica, Grenada, Paraguay, Burundi, Chad, Nigeria, and Mauritius.
Haiti recently appointed Rameau Normil as the new director general of the Haitian National Police (PNH), following the widely criticized tenure of his predecessor, Frantz Elbé.
The mission received approval from the UN Security Council in October, and although a small opposition party in Kenya has filed a lawsuit to block the deployment, the mission proceeds with support from the United States, which is providing funding and logistical assistance.
Haiti has been plagued by escalating gang violence, which worsened in February with coordinated attacks in Port-au-Prince aimed at toppling then-Prime Minister Ariel Henry.