Revealed: Police in Haiti Earn Extra Sh295,000 on Top of Normal Salary
Kenyan police officers stationed in Haiti are receiving a monthly allowance of Sh295,000 in addition to their regular salary, according to the Nation.
This disclosure comes in response to increasing frustration over delayed payments and insufficient equipment, which have dampened the morale of officers deployed to the Caribbean nation.
A source informed the Nation that while Kenyan officers in Haiti have received their allowance for July, August’s payment is still pending.
“We have been paid for one month and have been assured that the remaining amount will be issued soon,” said an anonymous source not authorized to speak to the media.
Members of the initial deployment, which arrived on June 25, have received Sh295,000 each. In contrast, officers from the second group, who arrived on July 17, have been paid Sh94,000 each. As per the agreement with the Kenyan government, each officer should receive $70 per day, totaling $2,100 per month (Sh273,000).
The officers, who are participating in a Multinational Security Support Mission (MSS) for peacekeeping, have also been provided with additional military equipment to aid their fight against armed gangs.
In July, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken authorized $109 million (Sh14.1 billion) to fund the United Nations-supported mission.
On August 26, the Nation reported that the families of the Kenyan officers in Haiti were facing financial difficulties due to unpaid mission allowances.
At that time, Acting Inspector-General of Police Gilbert Masengeli reassured the officers that their payments would be made promptly.
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Mission commander Mr. Godfrey Otunge has urged gang leaders to surrender, bolstered by the new military equipment.
The Kenyan contingent now operates with 34 Armored Personnel Carriers (APCs). Initially, they had eight APCs donated by the U.S., with France providing an additional 24 and the U.S. contributing two more. However, one of the U.S.-donated APCs suffered mechanical issues after an attack by gangs in Gauthier town.
During the ambush, the Kenyan and Haitian officers fought against gangs that had taken control of Road Two in Gauthier, a crucial route to the Dominican Republic.
Mr. Otunge stated that operations are now concentrated in Delmas, Bel-Aie, and Solino, areas overrun by gangs.
“The mission will be carried out with the Haiti National Police (HNP) to restore normalcy in these areas,” he said.
In addition to Kenya, troops from Jamaica, Bahamas, Benin, Belize, Barbados, Antigua and Barbuda, Bangladesh, Algeria, France, Germany, Trinidad, Tobago, Turkey, the United Kingdom, and Spain will also be deployed to Haiti.
Last week, Mr. Masengeli expressed gratitude to the U.S. government for its support of the mission.
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“We appreciate the U.S. government’s continued support and provision of additional equipment. The MSS has recently received more vehicles and equipment, facilitating more effective joint operations with the HNP,” he said.
Mr. Masengeli also emphasized that Kenyan officers “remain dedicated to their mission and are fully compliant with International Human Rights Law, as outlined in the Human Rights Due Diligence Policy.”
On June 21, a contract was signed in Washington, D.C., detailing the rights and immunities granted to the deployed forces.
The agreement specifies that the officers are not subject to inspection upon arrival and are exempt from taxes on their income and allowances. Equipment used by the troops is also tax-exempt in Haiti, provided it is for official use.
If an officer commits a crime in Haiti, they are not prosecuted there but are referred to the Mission for appropriate action.
Any officer serving as MSS mission commander has the authority to arrest team members for breaches of conduct and policy violations.
Revealed: Police in Haiti Earn Extra Sh295,000 on Top of Normal Salary
