Haitian Prime Minister Gary Conille visited Kenya to discuss the multinational security mission combating gang violence, which includes nearly 400 Kenyan police officers in Haiti. He aims to expedite the UN task force amid a funding shortfall for the mission, which has led to calls for its transformation into a UN peacekeeping operation.

The Prime Minister of Haiti, Gary Conille, made an official visit to Kenya on Thursday, with plans to meet President William Ruto on Friday. The discussions between the two leaders are expected to focus on the multinational security support mission that has seen nearly 400 Kenyan police officers deployed to Haiti since June to help combat gang violence.

In statements made to journalists, Conille expressed his desire to expedite the work of the multinational security task force authorized by the United Nations, which recently had its mandate extended.

Haiti has been experiencing significant unrest following a series of deadly attacks labeled as massacres in Pont-Sondé, resulting in the confirmed deaths of 115 individuals, with many more hospitalized, according to reports from the Associated Press.

During his visit to Haiti last month, President Ruto committed to sending an additional 600 police officers to Haiti by January. However, the mission faces substantial financial and logistical challenges. The total budget for the operation is $600 million, yet only $380 million has been provided by the United States, with Canada and other nations contributing an additional $85 million.

This funding gap has prompted both Washington and Ecuador to advocate for the reclassification of the mission into a United Nations peacekeeping operation.