Since the Kenyan Police arrived in Haiti for their peacekeeping mission, significant strides have been made in enhancing security and stability in the island nation’s capital Port-au-Prince, despite the difficult circumstances.
More than 600 officers from the National Police Service have been deployed to Haiti since June 2024 as part of the UN-led Multinational Security Support Mission (MSSM).
The Kenyan law enforcement officers have now integrated smoothly with the Haitian citizens, contributing to a sense of normalcy returning to various parts of the capital.
In an effort to build public trust, the police regularly conduct patrols and engage in community policing to fulfill their mandate of protecting civilians, maintaining public order, and supporting the reform and strengthening of Haiti’s law enforcement agencies.
In their most recent engagement, the security officers visited a school in Port-au-Prince, where they interacted with students in the classroom and joined them in singing and dancing to both French and Swahili songs
In a clip that has since gone viral, Jack Ombaka, the mission’s Director of Communication and spokesperson, was seen teaching a classroom full of students popular Swahili songs, as they danced with excitement.
He began by leading the students in singing the Swahili song Jambo Bwana.
“Jambo, jambo bwana…” he started, and the students joined in unison.
The role of Director of Strategic Communications was fitting for Jack Ombaka, as he is a highly skilled with a diverse educational background. In this role, he manages all strategic communications efforts and oversees the MSS social media platform
Fluent in French, which is one of Haiti’s national languages, Ombaka also collaborates with various media outlets—electronic, print, online, and televised—and engages key stakeholders to drive strategic messaging.
He holds a Master’s degree in Teaching French as a Second or Foreign Language from the University of Montpellier, with expertise in language teaching, translation, interpretation, and communication skills.
He also holds a Postgraduate Degree in Security and Strategic Studies from the University of Nairobi with a focus on strategic communications in security settings, advertising, and data analysis.
During the school outreach, Ombaka emphasized that the Kenyan contingent is committed to seeing schools reopen and learning resume across Haiti, highlighting that the education sector has been one of the hardest affected by gang activities.
In areas controlled by gangs, many well-known schools have been forced to close and relocate, resulting in a significant increase in the dropout rate.
“The leadership of these schools is kindly asking and urging MSSM to pacify areas around Cité Soleil and Croix-des-Bouquets, where gangs have taken control, so that they can return to their original institutions, as they were once great institutions,” Ombaka said.
MSS is headquartered in Port-au-Prince, led by Kenya and involves police and military officers from Jamaica, and soldiers from the Bahamas, Belize, Guatemala and El Salvador.
The United Nations Security Council authorized the countries to assist the Haiti National Police in restoring peace, law, and order amidst the threats posed by criminal gangs and violence.
