Kenyan officers are yet to make a major breakthrough, a year on, in the Caribbean nation.
Kenyan police officers deployed in Haiti were dealt a fresh setback after anti-government protests plunged parts of the capital, Port-au-Prince, into total darkness on Wednesday.
According to reports from local media, the unrest erupted in Mirebalais—a town north of the capital—where angry residents stormed a major hydroelectric power plant, demanding action from the government over unchecked gang violence.
The plant, which supplies electricity to a large section of Port-au-Prince, was forcibly shut down by the protesters, triggering a major blackout across key areas of the city.
The blackout has disrupted security operations, including areas patrolled by foreign security forces such as the Kenyan contingent, who form part of a multinational peacekeeping force recently deployed to help stabilise Haiti.
Kenyan police officers and their counterparts from the MSS mission during an assessment of the APN Port in Haiti on May 26, 2025.
This comes amid growing frustrations from locals who accuse the Haitian government of failing to rein in violent gangs that have seized control of several neighbourhoods, forcing thousands to flee their homes.
A Kenya-led, UN-backed security mission to the nation has also failed to make headway in tackling the crisis. World leaders have increasingly called for the mission to become a formal UN peacekeeping mission, while the US and Colombia have floated deploying troops through the Organisation of American States, according to Reuters.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed the deployment of officers from the Organisation of American States (OAS) during his address before the US Senate on May 21.
The head of US diplomacy announced that he would immediately ask the OAS to lead the multinational force to restore order in Haiti.
On May 5, residents of the South American nation staged another round of protests in the country’s capital, calling for the resignation of the country’s top leadership, including the Prime Minister, Alix Didier Fils-Aimé, and the transnational presidential council.
On April 2, thousands of Haitians took to the streets, staging mass protests in major cities to demand an end to the gang violence that has plagued the nation as security officers from Kenya continued to face the heat of the gangs.
Demonstrators brandished machetes while others waved palm leaves as they made their way through the streets of Port-au-Prince, where schools, banks, and other businesses remained closed during the standoff.
Haitians are growing increasingly frustrated with the government as the transition council fails to deliver on promises to stabilise the nation, which has been without a president since Jovenel Moise was assassinated in 2021.
Since June last year, Kenya has deployed at least 1,000 police officers under the MSS mission in Haiti to help in curbing unease in the country; however, gangs have continued to take over businesses and other critical infrastructures in Haiti, especially the country’s capital.
Scared Americans pretending like they can do anything.
The United Nations has raised alarm over the deteriorating security in Haiti, just ten days before the mission’s mandate ends.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has warned that the mission’s impact on Haiti’s security could be short-lived due to inadequate resources.
His sentiments were backed by the UN’s Assistant Secretary-General representing Europe, Central Asia and America, Miroslav Jenča, who noted that the Caribbean country had witnessed a sharp erosion of the rule of law as the gangs continued to grow in power.
According to Jenča, operations in Haiti’s Capital, Port-au-Prince, have been paralysed with over 85 per cent of the city, including key government amenities, taken over by the dreaded gangs.
“We have continued to witness a sharp erosion of state authority and the rule of law. The capital city was paralysed by gangs and isolated as a result of the ongoing suspension of international commercial flights into the Toussaint Louverture International Airport," said Miroslav Jenča.
He went on to add, "Since then, gangs have only strengthened their foothold, which now affects all communes of the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area and beyond, pushing the situation closer to the brink.”
However, Deputy Permanent Representative, UN, Yabesh Monari contradicted the claims, acknowledging the mission’s incredible impact in dealing with the gang violence.
Monari revealed that the Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission had managed to reclaim from the gangs some of the key facilities in Port-au-Prince, including hospitals and the main airport.
“We have a government in place, hospitals have been reopened, security of the presidential palace, the international airport and the seaport,” Monari said.
The latest development comes barely a week after the MSS celebrated its first anniversary. During the event held on June 27, 2025, MSS Commander Godfrey Otunge sent a strong warning to the gang leaders and their networks, stating that it would no longer be business as usual.
Otunge also revealed plans to establish Forward Operating Bases (FOBs), particularly within key areas of Port-au-Prince, as part of the broader strategy by the peacekeepers to deal with the Caribbean gangs.
He noted that the peacekeepers were now smarter, more focused and determined to restore peace and stability in the war-ravaged nation. He also commended the peacekeepers, terming them a beacon of hope and a symbol of the power of international cooperation.