Delays, court challenge threaten to derail Kenya's mission in Haiti

Gang leader Jimmy "Barbecue" Cherizier and his men patrol their territory in Port-au-Prince, on March 5, 2024. [AFP]

As a contingent of Kenyan police officers was due to arrive in Haiti as part of a multinational police force, delays and a pending court case, which seeks to stop their deployment, may hamper the intervention.

The planned arrival of Kenyan police officers in Haiti on May 23 was abruptly postponed without an official explanation. Sources within Kenya's Ministry of Interior said an exploratory team had found Haiti ill-prepared for the deployment. The construction of the barracks to host the Kenyan contingent was incomplete.