Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has praised the Kenya-led Multinational Security Support Mission (MSSM) in Haiti, saying Kenyan officers have managed to contain gangs and restore order in the Caribbean nation despite initial skepticism.
Speaking after a security meeting in Garissa, Murkomen said police officers had taken control of key installations, including airports, police headquarters and communication masts, which has allowed normal activities to resume.
He noted that for the first time in years, Haitian children were able to sit for their national examinations without disruption.
The CS dismissed fears that the mission would lead to heavy casualties among Kenyan forces, saying the predictions had not come true.
He explained that the mission is still in its early stages, with only part of the 2,500-strong deployment on the ground, including over 700 Kenyan police officers. He added that with increased support from development partners, the entire country could soon be secured.
Murkomen, who was accompanied by Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja, Deputy Inspector General of Administration Police Gilbert Masengeli and DCI boss Mohamed Amin, said President William Ruto would use the ongoing United Nations General Assembly in New York to lobby for more international backing once the current mandate of the mission expires.
The CS, however, acknowledged the loss of three Kenyan officers during the operation, among them Benedict Kabiru, who went missing in March after an ambush along the Carrefour Paye-Savien supply route in Artibonite.
He said the officer had died while protecting colleagues, noting that the Inspector General of Police would release a full report on the circumstances.