Kenya Police deployed in Haiti have received benefits ranging from equipment and resources from the US government to aid in their peacekeeping mission operations.
The perquisites include military equipment such as weapons, a military armoured personnel carrier (APC) for the transportation of personnel, equipment, and choppers for patrol.
Officials said the team also received protective kits they will use in their operations in the war-torn country.
The officers were also supplied with a broad range of resources to aid their mission, such as a fully equipped restaurant, washing machines, and other essentials.
A fully stocked medical camp has been set up at the Kenya Police Base in Haiti to cater to medical emergencies that could come up while they contain marauding gangs.
To facilitate communication between the law enforcers and their families back home in Kenya, the US government has installed a WiFi connection within the base camp as part of its support to the Kenyan Police.
The deployment of police officers has been a hot topic in the country, especially after images circulated online of the police officers standing guard at the local US embassy in the Tabarre area of Port-au-Prince.
Commander Godfrey Otunga who is leading the mission clarified the matter, stating that the officers had escorted him and other leaders to a meeting at the American Embassy, where they discussed logistical issues and were collecting the consignment of the equipment from the US government.
“Our officers were not there to guard the embassy but as part of a meeting that was ongoing inside. We went to discuss many issues and receive more equipment,” he said.
He further explained that due to the threat posed by the Haitian gangs, the officers stood guard as standard protocol, which should not be misinterpreted as their permanent assignment at the Embassy.
According to Inspector General of Police Japhet Koome, Kenya Police have been working closely with the Haiti National Police since they arrived in the country, conducting strategic mapping of gang-controlled hotspots as well as patrolling Port-au-Prince together.
“As a service, we wish to reiterate that our mission in Haiti is a noble task for the good of our brothers and sisters of Haiti, and further appeal to fellow Kenyans to support them as they lift our national flag high, along with discharging their international policing mandate,” Koome said.
The Kenyan team is stationed to guard the main port, airport, main highways, hospital and presidential residence.
