JAMILA'S MEMO: Why Kenya should rethink its role in Haiti’s unstable peacekeeping effort

On my memo tonight, I speak about the Kenyan peacekeeping mission in Haiti, because of new details that have emerged. You see, just yesterday, we all found out that the Kenyan government has spent 2.1 billion shillings on the operations in Haiti... 2.1 billion shillings... shocking, right?

Most of us, at least I thought, that the mission was to be financed by the UN. But it seems taxpayers are footing the Haiti bill... at least for now. The government is saying that the money will be refunded. Yaani, tunatumia pesa zetu, tutarudishiwa baadaye...

Just last month, former Haitian Prime Minister Gary Conille and President William Ruto jointly appealed to the international community for urgent financial support to sustain the police mission in Haiti.

As we spend our money on the mission and beg for some more, the US has issued a travel advisory to its citizens against traveling to Haiti, saying it cannot guarantee the safety of anyone traveling within the country.

Remember, folks, the US is the major sponsor of the Kenya-led international peacekeeping mission in the region. So far, 400 out of the promised 1,000 Kenyan police officers have been in Haiti since July this year. The remaining 600 are undergoing training here in Kenya in anticipation of traveling to join their compatriots.

The major sponsor of the mission, the US, cannot guarantee the safety of anyone traveling within Haiti... and here we are, preparing to send more police officers there... Read the signs, read the shouting message in caps, it says RUN FOR YOUR LIVES! The sign is flashing in neon and can be seen from space... it is saying LEAVE! Haiti is currently unpredictable and dangerous; being there is just too risky...

To make it worse, the two most feared gang leaders in Haiti have issued warnings and threats to people to stay indoors as attacks will take place. In fact, there has been a direct threat to the police officers... Barbecue, remember him? One of those gang leaders? He said they have been observing the officers and that it is time to take action against them... Read the signs! Haitians themselves are being warned against going to the capital, Port-au-Prince.

All this as a power struggle brews over who is the prime minister of Haiti. A new prime minister has been sworn in, promising to restore security throughout Haiti... but the former leader is insisting he is still in office and that no one can remove him except the president... but Haiti currently does not have a president.

The situation in Haiti has gotten worse in recent years, with an estimated 5,000 people being killed last year alone. The international peacekeeping mission was supposed to help restore security, but four months since the mission, which also includes officers from Jamaica and the Bahamas, began, the situation is still volatile... despite all this, it has been extended for another year.

If that is not enough, the United States has a new president, Donald Trump, and the worry is whether he will support this mission or not.

The Kenyan government says it has hope that the MSS, as it's known, aligns with the new president's strategy on immigration. Because part of dealing with the movement of people is stabilizing countries where immigrants come from... We shall soon see...

It is true that over the years, Kenyan forces have been lauded the world over for their commitment to helping restore peace and security in countries facing instability... but the Haiti police deployment mission has too many uncertainties to be ignored. That is my memo.