President William Ruto has hailed the role played by the Multinational Security Support (MSS) Mission in stabilising Haiti, saying the Kenyan-led initiative has delivered clear progress despite major obstacles.
Addressing a side event on Haiti during the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Ruto urged the global community to urgently back the deployment of a successor mission as the UN Security Council prepares to make a key decision in the coming days.
He praised the impact of the MSS, which he said had restored hope in a nation that had been paralysed by criminal gangs and insecurity. “Thanks to the MSS, the situation today is markedly different,” Ruto said, pointing to improved order and a sense of normalcy across key sectors.
The mission, sanctioned under Security Council Resolution 2699, placed Kenya in charge of leading a multinational force.
The first 200 Kenyan police officers landed in Port-au-Prince on June 25, 2024, marking the beginning of an operation widely viewed as extremely difficult because of the high risks on the ground.
Over fifteen months, the contingent has grown to 989 officers drawn from six countries. Kenya has contributed 735, with the rest from Guatemala, El Salvador, Jamaica, the Bahamas, and Canada.
However, Ruto noted that the force remains understrength, operating at less than 40 per cent of the intended 2,500 personnel.
“Despite inadequate and unpredictable resources, the MSS has registered undeniable success,” he said.
According to the president, visible gains include the recovery of the police headquarters by the Haitian National Police, the reopening of schools, the resumption of graduation ceremonies, and the reopening of roads previously controlled by gangs.
He added that the police academy had resumed training, with 750 new recruits graduating, while 70 senior officers are currently in leadership courses.
Ruto further noted that port and airport activities, including both passenger and cargo operations, are back on track, while kidnappings and extortion have dropped. Police stations in Ouest and Artibonite that had been taken over by gangs have also been reclaimed.
“When we deployed our officers, we were clear in our minds that while the MSS was a critical and innovative intervention, it was not the ultimate solution. We knew that Haiti’s stability could only be accomplished through a multi-pronged approach that addressed the root causes of the challenges,” Ruto said.
He explained that the MSS worked hand in hand with the Haitian National Police, carrying out joint operations that shifted the security landscape in critical areas.
Defending Kenya’s role in leading the operation, Ruto said the decision was consistent with the country’s long-standing tradition in global peace support efforts.
“When Kenya heeded the request by Haitian authorities, it was to join a global multinational effort. Drawing on our decades of peace support operations, we stepped up, offered to lead, and committed to deploy Kenyan police officers to help tackle the runaway menace of gang violence in Port-au-Prince and its environs,” he said.
The president urged continued international support, stressing that the mission cannot achieve lasting results without reliable funding, full deployment, and a parallel political and development strategy.
