Kenya welcomes Haiti mission officers, to parade during Jamhuri day fete at Uhuru Gardens

Kenya will on Friday honour its first returning contingent of officers from the Haiti security mission by having them participate in the Jamhuri Day parade, Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja has announced.

The officers, who returned to the country Tuesday after completing their tour of duty, were among the first Kenyan team deployed to Haiti in June 2024 under the Multinational Security Support Mission (MSS), now renamed the Gang Suppression Force (GSF).

Their return follows the arrival Sunday of a replacement contingent that has since taken over operations in the Caribbean nation.

Kanja said the officers would take part in the ceremonial march past during the national celebrations as a symbolic gesture of appreciation for their service and as a way of itroducing them back to the Kenyan public.

“We want the people of Kenya to take note that you have gone to Haiti and you are back. You have been away for 18 months and you are now back,” he said.

“You will join that parade so that we tell Kenyans that these are our officers who have done the job there and are now back, sound, strong and ready to serve our motherland.”

Before joining preparations for the national parade, the officers were scheduled to undergo a formal debriefing session at their Embakasi A Campus, where the National Police Service hosted a grand reception ceremony for the 230 returnees.

The event was graced by Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen, National security advisor Monica Juma among other senior security officials.

Kanja also used the opportunity to hail the officers for their resilience and professionalism throughout the demanding international mission, noting that their deployment had served as a beacon of hope for communities in Haiti grappling with gang violence and instability.

He commended them for maintaining discipline and upholding human rights standards despite the challenging conditions.

“I am happy that you ensured the rights of those people were maintained,” he said.

The police chief praised the mission for equipping the officers with valuable operational experience that will now be applied locally to strengthen internal security efforts.

Following the Jamhuri Day celebrations, the officers will proceed home for leave to reunite with their families after the lengthy deployment.

On the pending allowances for October and November, Kanja assured them that the National Police Service will release the payments once the funds are received from the United Nations.

The return of the officers marks a key milestone in Kenya’s continued participation in stabilisation efforts in Haiti, where subsequent teams continue to operate under the Gang Suppression Force mandate.