By Bonface Mulyungi

Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen on Monday presided over the final drawdown of Kenya’s contingent from the Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission in Haiti, as the operation transitions to the Gang Suppression Force (GSF).

Speaking at Toussaint Louverture International Airport in Port-au-Prince, Murkomen said Kenyan officers had served in Haiti since June 2024 and were now leaving behind communities whose safety had become part of their daily lives.

He said Kenya pledged to deploy 1,000 police officers to support the mission authorised under UN Security Council Resolution 2699 (2023) and renewed through Resolution 2793 (2025), with Kenya serving as the lead nation.

Murkomen said Kenya deployed the first 200 officers on June 25, 2024 and eventually reached 730 personnel due to logistical constraints.

He said the mission worked with partners from the Bahamas, Belize, Canada, El Salvador, Guatemala and Jamaica, and received support from other countries including the United States, France, Germany, South Korea and Japan.

Murkomen said that over 18 months, Kenyan officers working with the Haitian National Police helped restore order, secure critical infrastructure and support the return of public services, saying the gains contributed to a peaceful transfer of executive power on February 7, 2026.

“Today, Haiti is regaining stability,” he said, adding that families were returning home and economic activity was slowly resuming.The CS said Haitians had shown appreciation for the mission, citing an incident in which citizens attempted to prevent a departing contingent from leaving.

Murkomen also paid tribute to three Kenyan officers — APC Samuel Tomoi Kaetuai, APC Benedict Kabiru and Corporal Kennedy Nzuve — who died during the deployment.

He acknowledged that the mission faced allegations of misconduct but said the claims were taken seriously and investigations were carried out, adding that Kenya remains committed to accountability and transparency.

Also present during the send-off was Jack Chrostofides, a United Nations representative with the Gang Suppression Force (GSF), as the final group of Kenyan officers headed back home.