Kenya is now picking more than 1,000 officers from its Rapid Deployment Unit (RDU), Anti Stock Theft Unit (ASTU), General Service Unit (GSU), and Border Patrol Unit (BPU) to form a larger team for deployment to Haiti.

This deployment of personnel from Kenya’s elite paramilitary units is part of a United Nations multinational force, which was approved by the UN Security Council on Monday (October 2) to combat criminal gangs in Haiti, who have taken control of parts of the French-speaking Caribbean island.

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

The team is expected to be deployed to Haiti by January 2024. Unlike a UN peacekeeping mission, where the blue-helmeted forces are under the control of the UN Department of Peace Operations, the multinational force in Haiti will be overseen by Kenya, although its forces are there with UN authorisation, which gives the intervention the backing of international law.

Selection of security personnel

Only officers from formed units in Kenya’s National Police Service of Kenya will be deployed to Haiti. 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. Already there is lobbying within Kenya’s police services for those who want to join the mission.

The RDU is one of the highly trained teams that is used in various missions. Officials say the squads are deployed to every county headquarters in the country to help regions deal with various needs including riots.

The ASTU of Kenya Police receives the best maneuver skills, as they are mostly used in tracking cattle rustlers in some of the most difficult situations. The GSU company is headquartered in Ruiru, where between 500 and 2,000 highly trained officers are situated.

The exact number of soldiers in the squadron is not known owing to the level of covertness and discreteness exhibited.