Kenya Defends Police Over Haiti Mission

KENYA – Kenya’s Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has defended the country’s police after criticism about their planned deployment to quell gang violence in Haiti.

Gachagua on Friday said that Kenya’s police “Have a very good track record across the world”- though it was not clear what missions he was referring to.

Several human rights organisations both in Kenya and internationally have expressed worries that the police could “Export” their human rights abuses to Haiti.

In August, the rights group amnesty international wrote an open letter to the UN Security Council saying that it was concerned about the deployment due to the record of Kenyan police responding using excessive and unnecessary force.

It also said that it has documented more than 30 cases of Kenyan police killing protesters this year alone.

Gachagua has, however, said that the un security council approved Kenyan police to lead the multinational force to Haiti “After thoroughly checking on the output” of the officers.

In a post he made on the social media platform X, he added that the UN had given Kenyan police officers “Affirmation that they can be entrusted as the best in calming chaos and bringing order”.