Kenyan Haiti mission on site as armored vehicle breaks down mid-mission

The Kenyan-led mission in Haiti has come under criticism after one of its armored vehicles broke down during a patrol mission in downtown Port-Au-Prince.

According to the Miami Herald, several Kenyan police officers were patrolling downtown Port-au-Prince with Haitian police when one of the vehicles broke down and had to be towed.

The Miami Herald journalist reported that the police convoy was forced to stop after police in Haiti’s capital fired several warning shots into the air.

A video seen by Kenyans.co.ke A stationary convoy was pictured as residents stopped to take pictures of the situation.

Following this failure, several Haitian officials criticized the UN mission for its lack of air and sea equipment, claiming that this could jeopardize the mission’s success.

An investigation into the mission by the Miami Herald found that Kenyan troops and others had not been provided with helicopters, planes or boats to support the police.

The Multinational Security Support mission, which arrived in Haiti a month ago, is armed with armored vehicles, radios, large-caliber weapons and drones, but no dedicated air or sea assets, a U.S. State Department spokesman confirmed to the Miami Herald.

However, experts have expressed doubts about this approach, saying Haiti’s hilly terrain would pose a challenge for police without escape support.

According to the experts, the gangs that already knew the terrain would know where to hide, which would disrupt the mission.

“The gangs know where to hide and without air support you cannot carry out a serious operation, even with drones,” said Réginald Delva, a former civil servant.

However, this criticism comes after Kenya’s National Police Service (NPS) revealed that its officers managed to save several key infrastructures from gangland in Haiti.

The statement explained that the Multinational Security Support (MSS) Mission managed to retake the Auorite Portuaire Nationale (APN) port from gangs.