The UN-backed operation would involve numerous countries, but Kenya would provide most of the personnel. Gangs have violently seized control of large areas of Haiti, particularly in and around Port-au-Prince, displacing nearly 200,000 people from their homes, according to the UN’s International Organization for Migration.
Kenya will gain international kudos for having offered to lead the security intervention, when other countries refused.
Increased resources for the Kenyan police will boost senior officers’ wealth and status, allowing them to dispense more patronage.
Kenyan officers’ unfamiliarity with Haitian customs, social dynamics and language will compound their vulnerability and ineffectiveness.
The long-term political landscape in Haiti seems unlikely to change significantly.
