The National Police Service (NPS) has dismissed claims that seven Kenyan police officers deployed to Haiti have been killed.
According to NPS, the viral video circulating on social media, especially TikTok, suggesting that the officers had been killed by gangs, is fake. The trending video showed multiple police officers on the streets.
These reports came shortly after President William Ruto sent the first group of 400 Kenyan police officers to Haiti to help restore peace and lead a United Nations-backed peacekeeping mission.
The newly deployed officers have started patrolling Port-au-Prince to combat armed gangs that control the capital. A second team of Kenyan police is set to leave for Haiti on July 15.
The coordinator, Noor Gabow, returned to Kenya on June 30 to oversee the departure of the second batch.
Gabow, along with President Ruto’s National Security Adviser Monica Juma, accompanied the advance team to Haiti on June 24, with over 200 of the first group arriving on June 25.
An official involved in the planning confirmed that the ground is ready for more officers and expects them to leave in two weeks. In Haiti, a team from the General Service Unit’s Recce Squad has been patrolling local streets and the port.
This deployment coincides with Haitian Prime Minister Garry Conille’s trip to Washington, DC, and New York.
The Kenyan teams are conducting joint patrols with local officers to ensure familiarity and maintain calm. They will be stationed at key locations, including the local airport, port, hospital, presidential palace, and main roads.