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 President William Ruto’s dalliance with the United States is likely to position him as the key man on the African continent coming at a time when the African Union is in the process of joining the G20.

Ruto has won accolades over his style of leadership from the top US leaders led by President Joe Biden, his Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Climate Change advisor John Kerry.

On Tuesday during his address at the 78th edition of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Biden commended President Ruto’s willingness to deploy police officers to Haiti to support and train the Caribbean nation’s law enforcement in their efforts to restore stability to the troubled nation.

Biden noted that the international body must continue to preserve peace, prevent conflict and alleviate human suffering globally.

“We embrace nations stepping up to lead new ways and to seek new breakthroughs on hard issues. For example, in Haiti, the Caribbean communities facilitated a dialogue among Haitian society. I thank President Ruto of Kenya for his willingness to serve as the lead nation of a UN-backed security support system,” Biden said.

Kenya has expressed its willingness to lead a multinational force in Haiti and will deploy 1,000 police officers to the strife-torn Caribbean nation once its offer is accepted.

“Kenya has accepted to positively consider leading a Multi-National Force to Haiti,” Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Alfred Mutua said.

“Kenya’s commitment is to deploy a contingent of 1,000 police officers to help train and assist Haitian police to restore normalcy in the country and protect strategic installations,” he added.

Its “proposed deployment” still required a mandate from the UN Security Council and approval from domestic authorities, Mutua said.

In his address, President Biden asked the Security Council to fast-track the process to allow deployment of the officers.

But the US/ Kenya relationship has not been rosy with the opposition expressing displeasure over some statements by ambassador Meg Whitman.

Opposition leader Raila Odinga recently lashed at Whitman over her remarks that the August 2022 General Election was the most credible poll the country has ever held. Raila chastised Whitman for what he said amounted to meddling in Kenya’s affairs terming her rogue. The US government, however, did not respond.

The opposition chief told off the American envoy as he defended the recent spate of demonstrations which he said served the purpose of uniting the country and compelling the government to come to the dialogue table.

Gangs control around 80 per cent of the Haitian capital, and violent crimes such as kidnappings for ransom, armed robbery and carjackings are common.

Kenya is seen as a democratic anchor in East Africa and has participated in peacekeeping operations in its immediate region including in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Somalia.

Democratic anchor

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry have for nearly a year sought international intervention to help support the police, but no country has stepped forward.

“An Assessment Mission by a Task Team of the Kenya Police is scheduled within the next few weeks. This assessment will inform and guide the mandate and operational requirements of the Mission,” said US Secretary of State Antony Blinken after a telephone conversation with President Ruto.

“In New York, United States held talks with Ukraine’s President who committed to establishing a grain hub in the Port of Mombasa to address food shortage in East Africa,” Ruto stated on Tuesday.

The Head of State has also had a busy schedule meeting with allies and development partners but the most notable is the one with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Coming at a time when Ukraine (A key US ally) is embroiled in a war with neighbours Russia.

The meeting with Zelenskyy thus sends a message on which side of global politics President Ruto is aligned.

“Kenya advocates for a peaceful resolution of the Russia-Ukraine conflict to restore stability, alleviate the suffering of the people and stop the destruction of property,” Ruto said after the meeting.

He added that the Ukrainian government plans to set up a grain hub in Mombasa as part of a larger move to combat food shortage in Kenya and the rest of the East African region.

Haiti, the Western Hemisphere’s poorest nation, has seen compounding humanitarian, political and security crises, with gangs controlling most of Port-au-Prince.

Guterres said this month that violence had continued “to escalate and spread”, citing murders, kidnappings, rape of women and girls, looting, and the displacement of thousands of people. Guterres, relaying a request from Henry, began calling in October for an international, non-UN deployment to help support police in the troubled nation.

The Security Council this month adopted a unanimous resolution encouraging member states “to provide security support to the Haitian National Police,” including through “the deployment of a specialised force.”

Political mission

But the text, which was focused on a one-year extension of the mandate for the special UN political mission to Haiti, BINUH, stopped short of making any direct plans for such a force.

The Council has asked Guterres to present by mid-August a report on all possible options, including a UN-led mission.

In a recent interview, Blinken said the US remained active in its search for a country to head a multinational force in Haiti.

Yesterday, Ruto disclosed that the Dominican Republic has agreed to offer assistance to the proposed UN Security Mission to Haiti which will be led by Kenya.

President Ruto made the revelation after meeting with the Dominican Republic President Luis Abinader while in New York.

“Resolved to work together to bring peace and stability to Haiti. The grateful Dominican Republic will establish a mission in Nairobi,” Ruto said.