Kenya Starts Pulling Police From Haiti as Mission Clock Runs Out

The Caribbean country of Haiti currently faces an unpredictable security situation which has led to Kenya starting its police withdrawal from the country as Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission period ends, according to official statements made on February 6, 2026. The situation establishes a crucial point for Kenya since its current international mission represents its most significant foreign deployment while its ongoing gang fight in Haiti creates urgent questions about Haitian security conditions.

The mission which required Kenyan police officers and their international partners to assist Haitian National Police (HNP) during their fight against established gang networks in Port-au-Prince and other cities ends with this pullout. This week, Kenyan personnel started to leave mission bases, with the first flights scheduled to arrive in Nairobi within days.

The MSS force which deployed 800 police officers from elite units the General Service Unit Anti-Stock Theft Unit and Rapid Deployment Unit to active duty in June 2024. Their operations included joint patrols, training of local police forces and securing strategic infrastructure under a United Nations Security Council resolution.

The mission concludes at the same time that the United Nations begins its new Gang Suppression Force (GSF) which will carry out activities for which UN Security Council Resolution 2793 authorized a wider operational scope. This successor force — backed by additional personnel from regional and international partners — is intended to expand anti-gang operations and provide sustained support to Haitian authorities in maintaining public order.

Kenyan decision-makers have framed the pullout as a fulfilment of commitments, but critics warn it leaves a gap in frontline leadership at a time when Haiti’s security gains remain fragile and contested. The MSS successfully reopened essential routes and infrastructure, but its operational capacity remained restricted because of ongoing shortages in both resources and military personnel.