NAIROBI, Kenya – Kenyan officers deployed to Haiti are now under intense scrutiny after a United Nations report confirmed shocking allegations of sexual exploitation and abuse linked to the mission.
The report, dated February 16, reveals that four separate cases were investigated and all were found to be true.
UN noted the security force at the centre of the scandal is largely made up of Kenyan personnel.
“All the allegations were found to be substantiated by investigations conducted by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights,” the report said without detailing the outcome of the cases.
The findings, first reported by Haiti’s AyiboPost, say the cases were verified by the U.N.’s human rights office.
The report, however, stays silent on the way forward.
Instead, the U.N. has passed the burden back to the mission’s leadership and the countries that sent the officers, putting Kenya squarely in the spotlight.
Marta Hurtado Gomez, a spokesperson for the U.N. human rights commission, told AyiboPost that further action on the cases was up to the force and the countries involved because the operation, now called the Gang Suppression Force, was not a formal U.N. mission.
The report comes barely days after the government officially received the second contingent of police officers returning from the Multinational Security Support Mission.
Interior Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo said he oversaw the officers’ homecoming, describing the deployment as a historic contribution to global peace and security.
The Kenyan officers had been deployed to support the Haitian National Police in addressing insecurity in the Caribbean nation, which has faced prolonged political instability and gang violence.
Omollo praised the contingent for what he termed a “swift and selfless” response to duty, noting that the officers operated under difficult and often dangerous conditions while maintaining high standards of professionalism and discipline.
“In a foreign land… they upheld the highest standards of professionalism, discipline and courage, flying the Kenyan flag with distinction,” he said in a statement.
Officials say the Haiti operation, now dubbed the “Gang Suppression Force,” is not a full U.N. peacekeeping mission. That means accountability could fall through the cracks, with no clear system to ensure justice is served.
Kenya has been leading the Haiti mission since June 2024, sending hundreds of officers into one of the world’s most dangerous environments to battle violent gangs.
The mission was later beefed up in September to make it more aggressive and better equipped.
Other countries among them Jamaica, Belize, the Bahamas, Guatemala and El Salvador have also contributed troops, while Chad is preparing to send hundreds more.
