Kenya offered in July 2023 to lead a multinational police mission against armed gangs in Haiti, and the UN Security Council authorized it that October. After a Kenyan court challenge, a change of government in Haiti and persistent funding gaps, Kenyan officers served from June 2024 until April 2026. The UN replaced the mission with a Gang Suppression Force in September 2025.
As of 31 October 2026 no Kenyan police remain in Haiti. The Gang Suppression Force that replaced the mission has a UN mandate to 31 March 2027 and about 1,500 troops, according to the US ambassador to the UN. In October 2026 gangs mounted the first major attack on the force, and four Salvadoran soldiers were unaccounted for, AP reported.
Foreign Minister Alfred Mutua said Kenya would consider leading a multinational force in Haiti and would commit 1,000 police officers to train and assist Haitian police. He said deployment depended on a UN Security Council mandate and Kenya's own constitutional processes.
The UN Security Council adopted resolution 2699 by 13 votes to none, with China and Russia abstaining, authorizing a Kenya-led Multinational Security Support Mission for an initial 12 months. The UN said its costs would be met by voluntary contributions, not the UN budget.
Petitioners led by lawyer Ekuru Aukot obtained High Court orders halting the deployment while their challenge was heard, The Standard reported.
Kenya's National Assembly approved the deployment of police officers to Haiti, The Standard reported.
Justice Chacha Mwita of the High Court ruled that the National Security Council could not deploy police abroad and that Haiti was not a reciprocating country under the National Police Service Act. The government said it would appeal.
Gang attacks began in Port-au-Prince while Prime Minister Ariel Henry was on an official visit to Kenya seeking the deployment, AP reported. Gangs targeted police stations and the airport, and the main airport was later closed.
Kenya and Haiti signed an agreement at State House, Nairobi, in the presence of President William Ruto and Prime Minister Ariel Henry, intended to meet the court's requirement for a reciprocal arrangement.
Ariel Henry, unable to return to Haiti, said he would step down once a transitional council was installed and a new prime minister chosen, AP reported.
Kenya paused the deployment of its officers after Henry's announcement, foreign ministry Principal Secretary Korir Sing'oei told Reuters. A US State Department spokesperson said Washington would be concerned about any delay.
Henry's resignation letter, signed in Los Angeles and dated 24 April, was released as a nine-member presidential transitional council was sworn in, AP reported. The council's mandate was set to end on 7 February 2026.
The first contingent of 400 Kenyan police officers landed in Port-au-Prince, according to VOA and The Star. The mission was planned to reach 2,500 multinational personnel.
VOA reported that the United States was the mission's largest financial contributor, providing 300 million dollars and up to 60 million dollars in equipment.
Citizen Digital reported that member states had pledged 84 million dollars to the UN trust fund for the mission and contributed 67 million dollars, against an estimated annual cost of about 600 million dollars.
The Council unanimously adopted resolution 2751, extending the mission's authorization until 2 October 2025. Kenya told the Council the mission had 410 officers against a planned 2,500. China said Haiti did not have the conditions for a peacekeeping operation, and Russia said it was premature to plan changes.
A further 200 Kenyan officers arrived in Port-au-Prince on 19 January, and Kenya had deployed 600 officers in total, according to Capital FM.
UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told AFP that the United States had issued a stop-work order on its contribution, Capital FM reported. Of the 15 million dollars the US committed to the trust fund, 13.3 million dollars was frozen. National Security Advisor Monica Juma said about 110 million dollars from other countries was enough to continue.
A Kenyan officer was wounded in an operation in the Artibonite department and died after being airlifted to hospital, the mission said in a statement reported by Reuters. It was the mission's first fatality.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres recommended a UN support office funded from the peacekeeping budget rather than an immediate peacekeeping operation, VOA reported. The trust fund had received 110.8 million dollars in voluntary contributions and the mission had about 1,000 personnel, less than half the 2,500 planned.
GlobalSecurity.org (republishing Voice of Americ#A Kenyan officer was killed when gangs ambushed a patrol in Artibonite, Haiti's transitional presidential council said, according to The Star and the BBC. Kenya's government at first confirmed only that he was missing.
The National Police Service said an officer reported missing after the 25 March ambush had been confirmed dead, Citizen Digital reported. Citizen Digital also reported that a corporal died in a road accident on 1 September and that President Ruto put the number of Kenyan officers who died in Haiti at three.
The Security Council adopted resolution 2793 by 12 votes to none, with China, Pakistan and Russia abstaining. It transitioned the mission into a Gang Suppression Force of up to 5,500 uniformed personnel and 50 civilians for 12 months and asked for a UN Support Office in Haiti.
The first contingent of Kenyan officers arrived back in Nairobi after 18 months in Haiti, The Star and Citizen Digital reported.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said pledges of up to 7,500 personnel had been received for the new force, The Star reported. The Star said Kenya had not pledged personnel and, citing unnamed insiders, that Kenya wanted to keep command.
215 officers of Kenya's second contingent returned to Nairobi, where Inspector General Douglas Kanja received them, the Interior Ministry said according to People Daily. The Star reported the return as the start of the final withdrawal and quoted an unnamed official saying the whole team would leave by 15 April 2026.
The first Chadian police arrived in early April to lead the Gang Suppression Force, The Star reported. People Daily had reported Chadian troops training in the United States before deployment.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen spoke at Port-au-Prince airport as the final 150 Kenyan officers left, The Star reported, and they landed in Nairobi on 28 April, according to The Standard. The Star and Citizen Digital reported that Kenya deployed 730 officers at peak and that three died. Murkomen said misconduct allegations had been investigated.
The Security Council extended the Gang Suppression Force to 31 March 2027, with China, Pakistan and Russia abstaining, Reuters and AFP reported. US Ambassador Mike Waltz said about 1,500 troops were deployed, below 30 percent of planned strength.
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Capital FM · capitalfm.africa
PBS NewsHour · pbs.org
Al Jazeera · aljazeera.com
Le Nouvelliste · lenouvelliste.com
Citizen Digital · citizen.digital Capital FM · capitalfm.africa GlobalSecurity.org (republishing Voice of America) · globalsecurity.org
Nation News (Barbados) · nationnews.com Citizen Digital · citizen.digital Citizen Digital · citizen.digital
People Daily · peopledaily.digital Citizen Digital · citizen.digital
Africanews · africanews.com Al Jazeera · aljazeera.com Citizen Digital · citizen.digital Africanews · africanews.comLast updated 31 October 2026. Spotted an error? See corrections. Every event links to the record it comes from. Allegations are attributed to whoever made them.