The deployment of 1,000 Kenyan police officers to Haiti would likely boost U.S.-Kenya relations and pave the way for further Western economic support to the East African country, but backlash among the Kenyan public in the event of high fatalities will risk weakening the government politically and could compel it to adopt a less ambitious foreign policy. On March 13, Kenyan President William Ruto confirmed on X (formerly Twitter) that Kenya would lead the deployment of a U.N.-backed mission in Haiti to combat local criminal gangs there amid the Caribbean country's rapidly deteriorating security environment. This came after Ruto signed an agreement on March 1 with outgoing Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry to enable the deployment of Kenyan police forces to Haiti, which has experienced a sharp spike in gang violence in recent weeks. The agreement was seen as paving the way for Kenya's deployment of 1,000 police officers to...
