President William Ruto has praised the United States for backing the Kenyan-led Multilateral Security Support (MSS) Mission in Haiti.
He, however, faulted Washington for supplying second-hand vehicles, which he said frequently broke down and endangered personnel.
“I must commend the United States; they did make available logistics and vehicles. But unfortunately, most of the vehicles were second-hand, and therefore, they broke down many times. In fact, it put our personnel in great danger when they broke down in very dangerous places,” Ruto said.
He was addressing a high-level meeting on Haiti at the United Nations headquarters in New York on the sidelines of the 80th General Assembly.
On August 31, 2025, a Kenyan police officer died in a tragic road accident along the Kenscoff–Pétion-Ville road at Perlerin 9.
According to the MSS spokesperson, Jack Ombaka, the officers were on a recovery operation involving two MaxxPro armoured vehicles when one developed mechanical problems while towing the other.
The accident also left a civilian dead while eight other police officers from Kenya were injured.
The President also regretted that no meaningful support had been forthcoming from other quarters.
He lauded the Haitian government and its police leadership for their close cooperation with the MSS.
He credited the partnership for enabling significant progress, including driving gangs out of the airport and port, reopening major roads, restoring the police headquarters and academy, and reviving schools and hospitals.
Ruto disclosed that the MSS has been operating at only 40 per cent capacity, far short of the initial plan for 2,500 personnel and lacking vital force multipliers such as armoured carriers and adequate logistical support.
“Even under these constraints, the gangs, cowards by nature, have retreated when confronted,” he said.
With the MSS mandate due to expire in 11 days, Ruto called on the UN Security Council (UNSC), especially its permanent five members, to ensure a responsible transition to a successor mission.
He warned that without a clear mandate, predictable resources, and reliable logistical support, the gains made risk being reversed.
“Haitians are part of our shared humanity and deserve the same security and dignity as any other people,” Ruto stated.
He also pledged Kenya’s readiness to support the transition and continue backing Haiti’s quest for lasting peace.
