Officers of the Kenya-led peacekeeping mission in Haiti have been implicated in cases of sexual exploitation in the gang-plagued Caribbean nation.
According to a United Nations report released in February, four cases of sexual abuse were documented this year. Three of the victims were minors, including a 12-year-old child, while the fourth was 18 years old.
“In 2025, the United Nations received four allegations of sexual exploitation and abuse involving personnel from the Multinational Security Support (MSS) Mission in Haiti,” the report states.
“All the allegations were found to be substantiated by investigations conducted by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights,” it adds.
The Kenyan government has yet to respond to the allegations. Both the National Police Service and mission officials in Haiti did not respond to requests for comment from The Standard.
The report indicates that the cases were referred to the commander of the Gang Suppression Force and the Multinational Security Support Mission for appropriate investigation and remedial action.
According to UN military commanders' guidelines on protection from sexual exploitation and abuse issued in 2025, allegations are reported to the state of nationality of the personnel involved, which then cooperates with national investigations and prosecutions to facilitate the proper administration of justice. Only member states have the authority to investigate, prosecute and impose criminal sanctions against perpetrators.
“All peacekeeping units have been instructed to appoint battalion-level focal points for protection from sexual exploitation and abuse in order to advise commanders and integrate protection into all operations,” the report notes.
The allegations emerge as Kenya’s role in the US-backed mission winds down. The third contingent of over 200 Kenyan police officers returned home last month. The first and second contingents had returned on December 9, 2025 and March 18, 2026, respectively. The final group is expected to leave Haiti this month, with the mission scheduled to conclude on April 15, 2026.
“215 police officers, who formed the second contingent of the MSS Mission to Haiti, have safely returned home. The officers were part of our 2023 deployment to support efforts to stabilise Haiti and assist the Haitian National Police in restoring public order,” the Ministry of Interior wrote on X on 18 March 2026.
The officers had been deployed to combat gang violence, secure key infrastructure, and restore public safety. The MSS was transitioned last year into the Gang Suppression Force (GSF), with a broader mandate to counter armed groups in the country.
As Kenya’s role ends, Chadian soldiers have taken over the GSF, with their first deployment recently arriving in Haiti.
