Why the team from Haiti National Police is in Kenya
A team of senior officials from the Haitian National Police is currently in the country.
The team, led by the Director General of the Haitian National Police, Mr Frantz Elbe, met with the Inspector General of Police, Mr Japheth Koome, on Wednesday, December 13, 2023.
Mr Koome said in a statement that the team, which will be in the country until Friday, December 15, 2023, discussed security matters and how Kenya will help restore order in the Caribbean.
“The Haitian police chief, who is leading the delegation, is on a three-day official visit to Kenya for bilateral security talks between the two law enforcement agencies,” the police chief said.
Deputy Inspector General Noor Gabow also attended the meeting.
It comes just a week after a delegation from Kenya, accompanied by officials from the US, met with Dr Ariel Henry, the Prime Minister of the Caribbean nation. The team had left Kenya on December 2.
Last week’s visit was the third by a Kenyan delegation to Haiti. The first was in September, and the second in October.
Also read: Who is Jimmy ‘Barbecue’ Cherizier, the feared Haiti gang leader
Dr Henry said in a statement that plans were also underway for a team from Haiti to visit Kenya in the coming days in preparation for the arrival of the Multinational Security Support Mission (MMSS).
“A delegation from the Ministry of Justice and Public Security will travel to Nairobi in the coming days to prepare for the arrival of this mission,” the Prime Minister’s office said in a statement.
Nairobi News reported that the Kenyan team also met with the High Council of Transition members, including Mirlande Hyppolite Manigat, Calix Fleuridor, and Laurent St Cyr.
It is worth noting that the deployment to help the Haitian police fight gangs is still awaiting the green light from the High Court here in Kenya.
Yesterday, civil society groups condemned the visit, saying it was already a sign that they did not have the people’s interest at heart.
Also read: Kenya prepares for police deployment to Haiti amidst legal challenges
Ms Gaelle Castor, the executive director and founder of Se Fanm, an organisation that empowers women and children in Haiti, said the Kenyan delegation should meet the people, not hold secret office meetings.
“They say they want to help restore peace in Haiti and save the people. But from where I sit, I don’t believe that because they should meet us so that they understand what we are going through,” said Ms Castor.
According to her, the situation is getting worse every day as the gangs become more powerful and wreak more havoc.
Ms Castor said the Kenyan meeting was held secretly, and the matter was only leaked after the delegation left the Caribbean country.
“Unlike the other time when even the media was invited, this time, we only found out about the visit after the Kenyan delegation had left. Why did they keep it secret? She asked.