Murang’a Senator Joe Nyutu has faulted the government for deploying Kenyan police officers to Haiti, arguing that the decision lacked public support and overlooked pressing domestic security concerns.
Speaking during an interview on Citizen TV on Thursday, Nyutu questioned the Kenya Kwanza administration’s priorities, warning that the country was ill-prepared to shoulder such a burden.
“Everybody in this country was against the idea of Kenya sending police officers to Haiti because the question was, how prepared were we? And which other countries were sending?” the senator posed.
He argued that it was contradictory for the government to attempt solving another nation’s problems while insecurity continued to threaten Kenyans at home. Nyutu cited persistent bandit attacks in northern Kenya and the ongoing threat of terrorism as indicators that Kenya should first strengthen its internal security.
“How secure were our citizens and how secure was our country before we sent our police to Haiti? And now there are reports of these deaths,” he added.
His remarks came just a day after the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) unanimously approved the creation of a new multinational Gang Suppression Force (GSF) for Haiti. The new unit, comprising 5,500 police and military officers, will replace the Kenyan-led Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission.
According to Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Korir Sing’Oei, Kenya welcomed the transition and co-sponsored the resolution in recognition of the challenges it had faced while leading the mission.
“The unanimous adoption of Resolution 2793 (2025) last night by the UN Security Council is a welcome development in the pursuit of a more peaceful and secure Haiti,” Sing’Oei said in a statement.
The GSF will be backed by a UN Technical Office, a new UN Support Office, and the Organization of American States (OAS). The UNSC approved the mission for an initial period of 12 months.
While the Kenyan government maintains that its leadership role helped shape the new transition, critics like Nyutu insist that the cost and risks of such missions far outweigh potential benefits for Kenya.
