Ruto Blasts Lack of Resources for Kenya-Led Haiti Mission

Kenyan President William Ruto has sharply criticised the international community for failing to meet its commitments to the Kenya-led security mission in Haiti, as the operation approaches its scheduled conclusion in less than two weeks.

Speaking at a high-level United Nations side event in New York, President Ruto described a mission severely hindered by broken promises, inadequate resources, and operational delays. He accused global partners of abandoning their pledges, leaving Kenyan personnel exposed and under-resourced in a dangerous and unstable environment.

The Multinational Security Support (MSS) Mission, launched in June 2024 after approval by the UN Security Council, was intended as a joint international effort to help stabilise Haiti amid growing gang violence. Kenya took the lead role, committing troops and providing strategic leadership. 

However, Ruto revealed that the mission has been operating at just 40 percent of its planned capacity. Initial plans called for 2,500 security personnel and strong logistical support, including armoured vehicles and other critical equipment. To date, only 989 officers have been deployed, 737 from Kenya, while limited support has come from Guatemala, El Salvador, Jamaica, the Bahamas, and Canada. 

The United States has provided vehicles, but Ruto said many were second-hand and prone to mechanical failure in combat zones. The lack of essential supplies has disrupted the mission’s objectives. Efforts to establish a network of forward operating bases have stalled, largely due to bottlenecks in moving equipment and supplies out of Port-au-Prince. 

Kenyan forces, tasked with pushing back gang-controlled areas and preparing the ground for follow-up units, have struggled to meet operational targets amid logistical and strategic challenges. Ruto also paid tribute to three Kenyan officers, Benedict Kuria Kabiru, Samuel Tomoi Kaetuai, and Kennedy Nzuve, who have died while serving in Haiti. 

Kabiru remains listed as missing by Kenya, but Haitian authorities have expressed condolences, suggesting he was killed and his body taken by gang members. The president voiced frustration over what he called a lack of seriousness in global support, calling for clearer mandates and reliable funding for peacekeeping missions. 

“If we are sending a security team, the mandate must be clear,” he said. “We must also have a predictable resource package, not what Kenya has gone through—a game of guesswork.” 

He added that supporting Haiti should be seen as a humanitarian obligation: “The people of Haiti may be of African descent, but, for heaven’s sake, they are members of the human race, and they deserve as much, not less.”

In response to the worsening security situation, the United States and Panama have proposed a new initiative, the Gang Suppression Force (GSF), to replace the MSS. The GSF would expand operations to include 5,500 officers and focus specifically on dismantling Haiti’s increasingly organised gang networks, now operating under the Viv Ansanm coalition led by Jimmy Cherizier, known as “Barbecue”.

US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau confirmed that the two countries are working with Haitian authorities to introduce a Security Council resolution establishing the GSF and a dedicated UN support office. He said the proposal is a direct response to concerns raised by Kenya and has the full backing of Haiti. Landau urged other nations to support the initiative before the MSS mandate expires on 2 October 2025.