The president of Kenya visited Port-au-Prince on Saturday for his first tour of the base where an understaffed and ill-equipped contingent of nearly 400 of his country’s police officers are trying to bring peace to Haitilucky sprite, nearly seven months after a gang uprising took thousands of lives and toppled the government.

At a news conference, the president, William Ruto, announced that he would be sending an additional 600 officers to Haiti in the coming months — 300 in October and 300 in November. Mr. Ruto’s visit to Haiti was timed to coincide with his trip to the U.N. General Assembly this coming week in New York; he said he planned to use his time at the General Assembly to urge more countries to commit resources to the effort to restore order.

Mr. Ruto’s visit to Haiti came against a bleak backdrop. The recent kidnapping of two Filipino sailors put a halt to cargo shipments to Haiti by sea, the capital’s downtown streets are still deserted, and even Haiti’s prime minister cannot use his own office, because it is in a gang-controlled area.

Mr. Ruto met Saturday with Haitian and Kenyan officials to discuss the progress his officers have made and the challenges they still face. Afterward, he was greeted by several dozen Kenyan officers. They lined up in a sweltering parking lot near the airport where they are based, where six mine-resistant military vehicles, some with their windshields pierced by gunfire, were parked.

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He led the officers in both prayer and song and congratulated them on their courage.

“This mission initially was met with skepticism, criticism and pessimism,” he told the officers, adding that public opinion had come around.

“You will do better when more equipment is made available,” he said.

Later, at a news conference, Mr. Ruto acknowledged that the effort had been plagued by a shortage of equipment, tools and vehicles.

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