New ‘Gang Suppression Force’ puts 230 Kenyan police officers on the ground in Haiti

PORT-AU-PRINCE — About 230 Kenyan police officers arrived in Haiti on Monday, Dec. 8, marking the largest new deployment to the Gang Suppression Force (GSF) since the mission was reorganized. Their arrival came as more than 100 officers already in Haiti boarded flights back to Nairobi as part of a scheduled rotation.

“I express my gratitude to the Kenyan police officers who have arrived and made themselves available to support the Haitian National Police and the Armed Forces at this decisive moment,” Laurent Saint-Cyr, the President of the Presidential Transitional Council, CPT said in his welcoming speech of the new contingent.

The deployment comes as violence escalates in both Port-au-Prince and surrounding regions, particularly Artibonite, where gangs recently killed at least 20 people in Pont-Sondé. Armed groups continue to carry out kidnappings, arson, and road blockades, contributing to the displacement of more than 1.4 million people across Haiti. This Kenyan contingent is the first formally integrated under the Gang Suppression Force (GSF) — a newly restructured, UN-backed multinational mission replacing the under-resourced Multinational Security Support (MSS) force. Unlike its predecessor, the GSF has a more aggressive, time-bound mandate: to dismantle gangs, secure key infrastructure, and support humanitarian access. As gang violence spreads and public institutions remain overwhelmed, the GSF is supposed to represent a shift from merely stabilizing Haiti to actively reclaiming territory and reestablishing state control.

“Haiti needs this assistance, and restoring security is essential to enable elections, return to constitutional order, and offer hope for a better life to current and future generations,” Saint-Cyr said

For Commander-in-Chief Otunge, this rotation is far more than a routine administrative shift. The arrival of this fifth Kenyan contingent since June 2024 sends a clear message: Kenya intends to stand with Haiti until peace is restored. According to the commander, their mission is straightforward — to strengthen, consolidate, and accelerate the progress already achieved by the GSF, progress marked by the sacrifices and losses endured by both PNH officers and members of the GSF in the line of duty.

“We will defeat the violent actors who have held entire communities hostage for far too long. There will be no refuge for those who choose to oppress and terrorize innocent people,” Otunge said, urging “the Haitian people to keep hope alive, because we will win this fight.”

“We will not rest until we have achieved our shared goal: a secure Haiti, capable of holding free, fair, and credible national elections,” he added.

Despite the expanded foreign mission, gang-controlled neighborhoods including Bel-Air, Croix-des-Bouquets, Croix-des-Missions, Delmas 6, Village de Dieu, and Mirebalais remain under criminal control. No leaders of the alliance, Viv Ansanm coalition, the alliance that does not deny involvement in major coordinated attacks, have been arrested.

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