The fourth Kenyan contingent of Police officers joining the ever-expanding MSS Mission arrived in Haiti Thursday, February 6, 2025, aboard a Kenya Airways (KQ) aircraft.
Haitian government officials welcomed the Kenyan contingent led by the President of the Transition Presidential Council (TPC), Leslie Voltaire, alongside Prime Minister Didier Fils-Aimé, Haiti National Police Director General Normil Rameau, and MSS Force Commander Godfrey Otunge. Several ambassadors were also in attendance, including Marco Peñín Toledano (Spain), Dennis B. Hankins (USA), Antoine Michon (France), and André François Giroux (Canada).
The Kenyan government had pledged to send 1,000 personnel. The arrival of the new team is a significant step toward achieving the MSS mission’s mandate.
Among the latest Kenyan personnel is an elite all-female SWAT team, a highly skilled tactical unit bringing specialized expertise to the field. The SWAT team, like their male counterparts, are expected to enhance operations as they collaborate with the Haitian National Police (HNP).
Two days earlier, on Tuesday, the MSS also welcomed a contingent from El Salvador, which brought specialized air support capabilities to the mission.
International and national partners have played a crucial role in this deployment phase, with countries such as the USA, Canada, Germany, France, Italy, Turkey, and South Korea fulfilling their commitments to support the mission.
Additionally, the mission has significantly improved its operational capabilities. Air support has been strengthened with reinforcements from El Salvador, maritime capabilities have been bolstered by contributions from the Bahamas and land operations have been enhanced with equipment provided by donor nations.
Shortly after the arrival of the Kenyan troops and Ukrainian cargo plane arrived from El Salvador carrying three helicopters designated for medical evacuations (Medevac) and casualty evacuations (Casevac).
