Haiti mission: Is Kenya being set up by big boys in troubled nation?

President Ruto, in his statement Tuesday, emphasized that this multinational security support mission aims to reinforce the Haiti Police, enhance its institutional capacity, and increase its effectiveness in combatting criminal gangs, violent crime, human and arms trafficking and other atrocities.

This mission also has a mandate to secure the country's critical infrastructure including air and seaports, vital transit routes and intersections.

President Ruto, whose Pan-African credibility, has been taking a beating owing perhaps to shifting from traditional Kenyan approach, insisted the approval affirmed the "Pan-African commitment to our continent's unity together with the African Union's policy of solidarity with the African Diaspora in observance of our sacred duty towards our own flesh and blood, carried into captivity to suffer in chains, in a world far away from home, and punished most severely over the centuries for claiming for themselves freedom- the most basic right of every human being".

He highlighted Kenya's international peace-mediating and peacekeeping credentials, citing previous missions in East Timor, the former Yugoslavia, Eritrea, and Angola, among others.

However, it's essential to note that while these were UN-sanctioned peacekeeping missions with non-offensive mandates, the Haiti mission is not a UN mission.

Kenya has pledged 1,000 police to spearhead the mission. Several other Caribbean nations, including Antigua and Barbuda, the Bahamas, and Jamaica - have also offered support.

The force will have a 12-month mandate in Haiti. Foreign and Diaspora Affairs Cabinet Secretary Alfred Mutua said last week that Kenya anticipates to have deployed fully by January 2024.

Critics of the mission have previously pointed to scandals associated with UN peacekeeping missions in Haiti, including allegations of sexual abuse and spread of a deadly cholera epidemic, which killed nearly 10,000 people.

Some Haitians have also questioned the mandate of Prime Minister Ariel Henry, who took leadership after President Jovenel Moise was assassinated in 2021.

Unique challenges

General Service Unit (GSU) officers mount a guard of honor during a past pass-out parade at Embakasi Training School. [Pius Cheruiyot, Standard]

Kenya's former Military intelligence boss, Maj. General (Rtd) Charles Mwanzia recommended that "the US should pay the contingent directly, expressing concerns about potential misappropriation of funds".

Mwanzia, who was directly involved in the South Sudanese peace process, called on Washington to provide essential equipment and kits for the contingents deploying to Haiti.

He emphasized that Kenya's experience lies primarily in UN peacekeeping operations and not offensive missions. He noted that missions undertaken by Kenyan contingents under the African Union, and the East African Community have faced significant challenges in terms of logistical support.

The former military spy chief expressed skepticism about the feasibility of a purely police mission and its potential for success in Haiti's complex environment.

Kenya's internal security obligations are significant, and this decision continues to raise eyebrows.

While advocates believe such intervention is necessary to address the Caribbean nation's rising instability, gang violence, and humanitarian crises, unraveling the strings being pulled from the shadows of geopolitics is critical.

At the center of this deployment is the US, which is the orchestrator of the deployment idea. However, what raises eyebrows is the fact that while the US is keen on this intervention, it's not ready to take on the leadership role itself despite being militarily equipped.

Instead, Washington has put Kenya in the spotlight.

The Biden administration pushed Canada to take the helm, and Ottawa deployed a delegation to Haiti last year to assess needs. But Canada's top soldier expressed doubts that the military had the capacity to lead a mission while also aiding Ukraine.

The reluctance among several countries stemmed from the failures of past international interventions in Haiti, many of which have failed to bring long-lasting stability.

The Canadian refusal raised a pertinent question; If Ottawa, with its linguistic advantage, is hesitant, what makes Kenya, with its language barrier, the right fit?

Leading an international police mission requires a nuanced understanding of the local context, culture, and dynamics.