Amid the ongoing concerns over the safety and operational strategies of Kenyan officers operating under the Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission to Haiti, a Kenyan police officer has opened up to the media on what it is like operating in the gang-infested towns of the Caribbean country. The officer, identified as Inspector Mwangi, opened up to the British broadcaster Sky News on how Kenyan officers have intensified their pursuit of the Haitian gangs, who have since resorted to bases outside town.
According to Mwangi, the Kenyan officers patrol the streets during the day, visiting the mountainous hideouts of the gangs to identify, among other elements, spotters who the gangs use to survey their enemies, the Haitian police and others under the MSS mission. However, the officer revealed that night patrols remain their biggest challenge, as gangs often lay ambushes and subject them to heavy gunfire, making the US-supplied Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles their only lifeline in such ambushes.
Inspector Mwangi inside an MRAP during a night patrol in Haiti.
Photo Sky News However, in the event of an ambush, officers are often forced to switch off all vehicle lights to better spot enemy positions.
