Nearly 20 Kenyan police officers deployed to Haiti as part of a U.N.-backed Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission have submitted resignation letters over the past two months, citing pay delays and harsh working conditions.
Despite these resignations, the officers, numbering roughly 400 in total, continue to serve as their letters have gone unanswered, according to three officers who spoke on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on speaking to the media.
Kenya’s national police spokesperson did not respond to inquiries regarding the officers’ grievances, including unpaid wages and the resignation letters. However, National Police Chief Douglas Kanja addressed the issue at a press conference on Wednesday, claiming that officers had been paid through October. The officers disputed this, stating that they last received payment in September.
Kenya has led the MSS mission since June, deploying about 400 officers to combat escalating gang violence in Haiti.
The force, which is intended to include 2,500 personnel from 10 countries,W remains critically underfunded and understaffed, with minimal contributions from other nations.
A pledge by Kenyan President William Ruto to send an additional 600 officers in November has yet to materialize.
Frustration among officers reportedly reached a breaking point in October, with three officers submitting written resignation letters that month after verbal resignations were rejected. This number grew to about 15 in November, including five senior officers, one of whom was a unit commander.
The officers also described the grim realities they face in Haiti. One recounted being “tormented” by harrowing scenes such as dogs scavenging on human remains. They further alleged a lack of adequate ammunition to fend off increasingly aggressive gangs, who have expanded their control over the capital, Port-au-Prince, and targeted Kenyan police positions.
Haiti’s gang violence, which has claimed thousands of lives over the past two years, continues to escalate, underscoring the challenges facing the Kenyan-led MSS mission amidst mounting operational and logistical issues.
