Kenya’s Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission in Haiti, which later transitioned into a Gang Suppression Force (GSF), has delivered a mixed outcome since its deployment in June 2024, marked by security gains and controversy.

Recent scenes of Haitian civilians blocking Kenyan officers from leaving certain areas underscore growing anxiety about what comes next.

In St Mark’s and Pont-Sondé, residents staged protests fearing that the withdrawal of Kenyan forces would expose their communities to renewed gang violence.

In an undated video circulating online, locals are seen erecting barricades and preventing Kenyan officers from departing, a rare show of support for the foreign force amid Haiti’s fragile security landscape.

Read: Haiti: US hails Kenya’s leadership as mission enters difficult new phase

The final contingent of Kenyan personnel returned home last month, completing a phased withdrawal that began in December. However, their exit has raised concerns about a potential security vacuum in a country still grappling with widespread gang control.

Kenya Police in Haiti — Armoured vehicles of the Kenyan peace-keeping mission patrol as residents flee Delmas 30 neighbourhood due to gang violence, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti on February 25, 2025.

Photo credit: Jean Feguens Regala | Reuters

At one point, helicopters had to be deployed to evacuate officers from Petite Rivière and Pont-Sondé after protesters blocked roads in an attempt to delay their departure.

The withdrawal paves the way for the Gang Suppression Force (GSF), a new mission approved by the United Nations Security Council in October 2025. The force will be led by Chadian units, with an initial contingent already deployed in early April.

Civilians in Haiti block Kenyan police officers as they attempt to leave St Marc and Pont Sonde, warning they would be exposed to gangs if the mission ends. Helicopters were deployed to evacuate the officers from Petite Rivière and Pont Sonde

Photo credit: Pool

South African UN official Jack Christofides will head the new mission, taking over from Kenya’s Senior Assistant Inspector General of Police Godfrey Otunge, who led the MSS deployment. Mr Christofides, a veteran of peacekeeping operations across Africa, was appointed Special Representative for the GSF late last year.

According to the Ministry of Interior, the final group of 208 officers returned on March 24, following earlier batches of 215 officers on March 17 and 230 others on December 9, bringing the total number to 653.

“Kenya has reached a major milestone in its international peace support efforts,” the ministry said in a statement yesterday, confirming the conclusion of the mission and commending officers for their service.

The ministry attributed the withdrawal to changes in Haiti’s international security framework following the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 2793 (2025), which transitions operations to the GSF.

During their deployment, Kenyan officers played a key role in stabilisation efforts, particularly by securing critical infrastructure. They also supported the return of more than 2,000 Haitian police officers to duty.

Read: Kenya fights sexual exploitation claims against police troops in Haiti

Senior government officials, including Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen, Internal Security Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo, former National Security Adviser Monica Juma and Inspector-General of Police Douglas Kanja, praised the officers for their contribution to international peace efforts.

However, the broader security situation in Haiti remains dire. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, more than 11,000 people were killed between early 2024 and the end of 2025 due to gang-related violence, while over 1.4 million people, half of them children,have been displaced.

Haiti Gangs — Members of a Kenyan police force, part of a new security mission, stand at the airport after disembarking, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti June 25, 2024.

Photo credit: Marckinson Pierre | Reuters

Armed groups are estimated to control more than 85 per cent of Port-au-Prince, crippling economic activity and leaving more than 5.7 million people facing severe food insecurity.

The MSS mission was launched to support Haiti’s overstretched security forces following years of escalating violence, particularly after the 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moïse, which deepened a political vacuum and accelerated the expansion of criminal gangs.

While Kenya’s involvement drew international attention, it also sparked domestic debate over the legality, risks and long-term implications of deploying police officers abroad.

As the same time, the mission’s conclusion has been overshadowed by allegations of sexual exploitation.

Reports first published by Haitian outlet Ayibo Post, citing a UN Secretary-General’s report, alleged that four cases of sexual exploitation involving MSS personnel were substantiated in 2025 after investigations by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.

Read: Kenya begins pulling out of Haiti as mission term ends

Kenya has strongly rejected the allegations. Prime Cabinet Secretary and Cabinet Secretary for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs Musalia Mudavadi said investigations conducted through a board of inquiry found the claims to be unsubstantiated.

2025-05-12T184510Z_1311715366_RC2GGEAZVD9G_RTRMADP_3_DOMINICAN-REPUBLIC-KENYA-HAITI-VIOLENCE (1) — Kenya's Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi and Dominican Foreign Minister Roberto Alvarez walk on the day they sign a bilateral agreement in support of Kenyan police officers deployed in the Multinational Security Support Mission in Haiti, in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, May 12, 2025.

Photo credit: Reuters

“Allegations of sexual exploitation and abuse reported in August 2025 were promptly investigated and found to be unsubstantiated. No formal complaints were filed, and findings were shared transparently with both Haitian and UN authorities,” Mr Mudavadi said in a statement addressed to UN Secretary-General António Guterres.

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hkimuyu@ke.nationmedia.com