ACK’s Ole Sapit Has Criticized Troops Deployment to Haiti By The Kenyan Gov’t
Anglican Archbishop Jackson Ole Sapit has criticized President William Ruto’s efforts to send Kenyan police officers to Haiti.
The Archbishop believes the decision is ill-advised, given inhabitants of the country’s northern regions continue to face instability.
“It doesn’t make sense to send troops to Haiti when we have insecurity problems across the country and especially in the North Rift. Our request is that as the government sends troops to Haiti, they should also have better security across Kenya,” said Ole Sapit.
The bulk of the area’s population who abandoned their houses for safety continue to live in dismal conditions at IDP camps in Lolmolog, Longewan, and Ang’ata Nanyekie.
The archbishop, who is on a working tour of Samburu County, and local officials want the insecurity in the North Rift region resolved before the government sends security forces to Haiti.
According to Philip Lerno, Loosuk local chief of Samburu West Sub County, there is still tension, with bandits being detected in the area on occasion.
“Bandits remain active in the neighborhood. The National Police Reservists (NPR) are holding them at away, but tensions remain high in the region since they can strike at any time,” Lerno explained.
On Friday, President William Ruto justified Kenya’s decision to send 1,000 police personnel to Port-au-Prince as part of a U.N. Security Council-backed security mission to turbulent Haiti.
According to Philip Lerno, Loosuk local chief of Samburu West Sub County, there is still tension, with bandits being detected in the area on occasion.
“Bandits are still active in the area. It’s the National Police Reservists (NPR) who are keeping them at bay but tension is still high in the region since they can decide to strike at any time,” Lerno said.
On Friday, President William Ruto justified Kenya’s decision to send 1,000 police personnel to Port-au-Prince as part of a U.N. Security Council-backed security mission to turbulent Haiti.
Ruto was asked to explain Kenya’s choice to send officers to Haiti, a distance of 12,078 kilometers from Kenya, amid continued banditry attacks in the North Rift region, while speaking to the press with US President Joe Biden at the White House in Washington, D.C. on Thursday.
In response, Ruto emphasized that, despite sending troops to Haiti, Kenya has remained committed to solving the issue of banditry at home.
The President also stated that the government has dispatched 3,000 military personnel and 2,000 police officers to the North Rift to confront and eradicate the banditry threat.
“I made a commitment to the people of Kenya to sort out insecurity in the North Rift. I have followed that with action. As we speak there are 3,000 military officers and 2,000 police officers in the North Rift,” said Ruto.
“We have also renovated 15 schools and reopened 20 schools that were closed. The exercise is still ongoing.”
Ruto then emphasized Kenya’s role in improving security within its borders, while also reiterating the country’s broader responsibility to do the same outside its borders.
“We have made tremendous progress in making sure that we create security at home but that does not take away our responsibility. Even as we deployed troops and police to sort out the banditry problem we still deployed 1,000 troops to DRC Congo because that is our neighbour,” he said.
“We have deployed 5,000 troops in Somalia because that is equally our responsibility and Haiti should not be an exception. Deploying 1,000 troops to Haiti speaks of the same belief and commitment.”
ACK’s Ole Sapit Has Criticized Troops Deployment to Haiti By The Kenyan Gov’t
