Haitians protest Kenyan move to send police to quell violence
Haitians living abroad have taken to the streets to protest the Kenya government’s decision to send Kenyan police officers to help quell the runaway gang violence ravaging the streets of the Caribbean nation.
Early this week, the United Nations Security Council passed a resolution authorizing a multinational security mission – led not by UN peacekeepers but by Kenya’s national police service – to tackle gang-related violence in the Haiti capital.
President William Ruto’s decision to send Kenyan officers off to the embattled country has, however, not been warmly received by large sections of stakeholders with many calling the move Ill advised and akin to sending Kenyan officers to their death camps.
And while a number of stakeholders agree that an intervention is critical to stop the violence, and given that the Haitian National Police force is outgunned and underpaid, many feel like the Kenyan police were not adequately fit to tackle such a menace which has, in the past, even defeated better-trained troops.
Now, Haitians have also joined in the condemnation of President Ruto’s move, hitting the streets, calling out the President by name and chanting anti-Kenya slogans.
While it has not been established exactly where the protesters gathered at, the video seen by Citizen Digital and shared by an X user show a handful of protesters chanting, “William Ruto… US puppet… Kenya… shame on you!”
While carrying placards and waving Haiti flags, the protesters can be seen gathered around a street while repeating the same chant.
One of the placards read: ‘Haiti Gangs armed by the USA’ while another reads, ‘US out of Haiti!’
Another placard also bears the image of the current Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry, written: “Ariel Henry, US appointed puppet.”
According to experts, most Haitians outside of the elite and political class do not consider Ariel the legitimate leader, but the United Nations and the international community, including the United States, recognize him, prompting yet another concern about this intervention.
On Friday, the Vice Chair of the Senate’s National Security, Defence and Foreign Relations Committee, Senator Karen Nyamu said that Kenya’s willingness to take charge of the mission, will firstly demonstrate to the world that Nairobi is a dependable ally.
Haitians protest Kenyan move to send police to quell violence
