Alfred Mutua: Kenyan police to address unrest in Haiti

Cabinet Secretary for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs Dr. Alfred Mutu. [File, Standard]

Foreign and Diaspora Affairs Cabinet Secretary Dr Alfred Mutua has revealed that the country is actively exploring the possibility of dispatching police personnel to Haiti in an effort to address the ongoing unrest in the country.

On Saturday, April 22, Mutua took to Twitter to announce that the Kenyan government had assessed the dire situation in Haiti, where gangs have caused immense suffering for the people.

He stated that Kenya is prepared to extend assistance as required.

Mutua discussed the Haiti situation with Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly over the phone on Saturday.

He said Canada has been at the forefront in supporting Haiti's process towards stability.

"We reviewed Haiti's situation where gangs have made towns and peoples' lives unbearable. In this regard, Kenya has offered to send police officers to assist in stabilising the country," Mutua said.

Canada has so far committed to deploy navy vessels to Haiti for intelligence-gathering purposes to quell Haiti's growing gang violence.

Reports indicate the Haitian gangs emboldened since the July 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moise, has been the focus of Caribbean leaders meeting in the Bahamas for the annual CARICOM summit.

Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry has pleaded for a full-fledged international military intervention of stem the mayhem. His country requested help from the United Nations Security Council in October and has suggested the U.S. and Canada lead a force. No such intervention has come together, and neither country has offered to take the lead.

As the meeting of CARICOM leaders opened Wednesday, Secretary-General Carla Barnett reiterated the preference for finding a Haiti-led solution to the country's challenges.

"Even as progress is being made on some fronts, CARICOM and indeed the wider international community continue to struggle to help Haiti resolve its multifaceted crises," Barnett said. "We will continue our efforts to assist all stakeholders in Haiti to ensure a Haitian-owned resolution to the crises."