Police Start to Pick Team for Haiti Peace Mission

The National Police Service has begun the selection process of officers to be deployed for the Haiti peace mission.

For instance, each platoon officer from the General Service Unit is set to nominate two police constables and a corporal.

Officers to be considered officials say must be aged between 20-55 years and have served in the service for a minimum of five years.

They must also not have more than two convictions with the last one not less than six months. Other than these, they should have a good proficiency in English, the ability to safely handle firearms and proven shooting skills.

Additionally, they must be mentally, physically and medically fit and capable of demonstrating clear command and control.

Read: Parliament to Approve Deployment of Kenyan Police Officers to Haiti

The unit is also expected to nominate 35 drivers and eight mechanics under the specialist category. Other specialists required for the mission are signalers, chaplains and counsellors and drone operators.

To qualify under this category, one must be aged between 20-40 years and served for at least two years in service.

Selected officers will converge at a camp for joint training ahead of the planned deployment in January.

The selection process follows the authorization of a multinational security support (MSS) to the Caribbean country by the United Nations Security Council last week. Other units of the Administration Police Service are also set to contribute.

Kenya intends to send more than 1,000 officers to the country for the mission to last for a year.
UN Security Council said a review will be done after nine months.

Read Also: Ruto Welcomes UN Approval For Security Mission To Haiti

Some members of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) have also committed to supporting the mission.

MSS mission, UNSC member states observed, is an important step to help the Haitian National Police address the deteriorating security situation in their country.

The US government has pledged Sh29 billion for the mission. Half of this amount is from the US Defence Department and is in the form of intelligence, airlifts, communications and medical assistance.

The plan is that after the team is picked up, they will vote to decide on which uniform they will adopt. Officers from formed units in the National Police Service of Kenya will be the majority to be deployed to Haiti.
More than 1,000 officers will be picked from the Rapid Deployment Unit, Anti Stock Theft Unit, General Service Unit, and Border Patrol Unit to form a larger team for deployment with the exercise expected to happen in two month’s time.

These officers have paramilitary training and are likely to work well with other personnel from countries that have agreed to send theirs to Haiti for the same mission. The personnel from the formed units have skills that can address the needs in Haiti, officials say.

Read Also: UN Votes to Deploy Kenyan Police to Haiti to Combat Gangs

They will be provided with a kit to use while in Haiti. RDU, ASTU and BPU are from APS while the GSU will also provide personnel from most likely the RECCE unit.

Kenya will take the command and operations of the about 3,000 personnel.

Unlike a UN peacekeeping mission, where the blue-helmeted forces are under the control of the U.N. Department of Peace Operations, the multinational force in Haiti will be overseen by Kenya, although its forces are there with U.N. authorization, which gives the intervention the backing of international law.

The selected team will converge at a camp for a brief joint training before they depart for the mission.

At stake, is almost Sh29 billion that has been pledged by the US government to enable the mission to be successful.