President William Samoei Ruto has unveiled revised salary packages for police officers, starting July 2024.
This announcement was made during a ceremony where President Ruto handed over the flag to the initial batch of 400 Kenyan police officers, out of a total of 1,000, scheduled to depart for Haiti tonight.
These officers are embarking on a peacekeeping mission to Haiti, which has been plagued by security challenges.
Despite a United Nations Security Council resolution in October approving the mission, its deployment was delayed by a Kenyan court ruling in January.
The Kenyan contingent, comprising members from the Rapid Deployment Unit (RDU), Anti-Stock Theft Unit (ASTU), General Service Unit (GSU), and Border Patrol Unit (BPU), will collaborate with forces from Benin, the Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, and Chad to combat criminal groups in Haiti.
Initially offering to send around 1,000 officers, Kenya faced legal hurdles before finalizing the deployment.
According to a senior police official, preparations are now complete for the team’s departure on Tuesday, with advance teams having already left last week and yesterday.
Apart from Kenya, other nations like Benin, the BahamaBests, Bangladesh, Barbados, and Chad have expressed readiness to contribute to the mission.
The United States is providing financial and logistical support but will not deploy troops to Haiti, known as the poorest country in the Americas.