This final batch completed an intensive eight-week training course, graduating on Friday, November 8, and will be given a two-week break to rest before deployment.
These officers are drawn from both the Kenya Police and the Administration Police Service (APS), including 200 officers from the General Service Unit (GSU) and others from APS, including the all-female Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team. Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja led the graduation ceremony at the National Police College in Embakasi, marking the end of the training that began in August. Although initially planned as an 18-week program, the training was shortened to meet the urgent need for deployment in response to escalating gang violence in Haiti.
The officers’ training included physical conditioning, specialized weapons handling, international relations, and close-quarter combat techniques commonly used by elite units. Selection criteria required candidates to have at least five years of service and proficiency in English, among other qualifications.
This final deployment follows the first group of about 400 officers, which Kenya sent to Haiti as part of a multinational peacekeeping initiative. Kenya leads this mission under the United Nations mandate, with support from at least 10 other countries contributing a combined total of 2,900 personnel. However, only around 430 troops, including 400 from Kenya, have been deployed so far since the mission began in June.
In related developments, President William Ruto recently shared that he had a conversation with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, congratulating him on his election and discussing potential areas of collaboration between the U.S. and Kenya in areas like security, trade, and investment. President Ruto also briefed President-elect Trump on Kenya’s leadership in the Haiti mission and discussed opportunities for U.S. support in the ongoing peacekeeping efforts.
The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) voted unanimously last month to extend the mandate of this mission, underscoring the international community’s commitment to stabilizing Haiti.
