Ruto sends urgent appeal 11 days before Kenya-led Haiti mission ends
By Kenneth Mwenda, September 22, 2025President William Ruto has warned that the United Nations-backed security mission in Haiti is running out of time, with its mandate set to expire in just 11 days.
Speaking during a High-Level Meeting on Haiti in New York on Monday, September 22, 2025, Ruto stressed that Kenya would not abandon the troubled Caribbean nation without a clear transition plan. He said the international community must urgently decide on a successor mission to prevent hard-won gains from being lost.
“The next mission, the one thing that Kenya will not do is to walk away from Haiti in haste. That we will not do,” Ruto said. “Because whatever has been achieved, if we don’t provide a proper transition, we are unlikely to lose everything. The mandate of the MSS is coming up in the next 11 days, and therefore, we don’t have much time.”
Ruto urged members of the international community, and especially the permanent members of the UN Security Council, to act with urgency. He said Haiti deserved the world’s full attention and support at a time when progress remains fragile.
The Head of State had earlier stated that the success of the Haiti security mission would improve Kenya’s global profile.
Progress despite challenges
Kenya has led the Multinational Security Support (MSS) Mission for 15 months, working with officers from Guatemala, El Salvador, Jamaica, the Bahamas and Canada. Of the 989 personnel deployed, 735 are Kenyan.
The president noted that the mission had made important gains despite limited resources. When the first officers arrived in Port-au-Prince, gangs had surrounded the airport, making landings unsafe. Today, the airport is operational and handles both passenger and cargo flights.
The presidential palace, which had been under siege, now serves as the seat of the Haitian Presidential Council under the protection of MSS personnel. The police headquarters and training centre, once overrun by gangs, are secure and functioning again. In July, the academy graduated 750 new officers, a symbolic victory for state authority.
Major roads that had been blocked by gangs have also been reopened, reconnecting neighbourhoods and allowing humanitarian supplies to move.
Gaps in support
However, Ruto said the mission has been operating at only 40 per cent of its intended strength. The original plan was to deploy 2,500 officers, but fewer than 1,000 are on the ground. He also revealed that force multipliers such as armoured personnel carriers were never provided.
He commended the United States for stepping in with logistics vehicles, but noted that most were second-hand and prone to frequent breakdowns. This, he said, exposed officers to danger, particularly when vehicles failed in gang-controlled areas.
“We did not, however, get any useful support from other quarters,” he added, urging partners to step up.
Heavy price paid
Kenyan officers have also paid a heavy price. Some have died since deployment, including one killed in a gang ambush in March. On August 31, one officer also died in a road accident in Port-au-Prince that also claimed two civilian lives.
Despite the losses, MSS spokesperson Jack Ombaka praised the resilience of the officers, saying they had restored order under extremely difficult conditions.
Ruto concluded his speech with a direct appeal to the world’s powers.
“We want to persuade all members of the international community, persuade the P5, to take the matters of Haiti as seriously as it deserves, and hopefully provide a transition that will ensure we don’t let the people of Haiti down.”