President William Ruto, seeing off a contingent of police officers to Haiti in 2024 // Photo courtesy
The Kenyan government has dismissed reports that the U.S. funding freeze on the Kenya-led Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission in Haiti will halt its operations.
In a press statement released by Government Spokesperson Hon. Sen. (Dr.) Isaac Mwaura on Wednesday, February 5, the government affirmed that the mission remains financially secure, with support from multiple international partners.
The statement further clarified that the MSS mission is backed by the UN Trust Fund for Haiti, established under United Nations Security Council Resolution 2699 in October 2023.
“The claims that the U.S. funding freeze will jeopardize the operations are false and lack any factual basis,” the statement read.
The Kenya-led mission includes police deployments from Guatemala, Jamaica, El Salvador, the Bahamas, Belize, and other nations.
By the end of 2024, the mission had received pledges amounting to US$110.3 million from countries including the USA, Canada, France, Turkey, Spain, Italy and Algeria. Of this, $85 million has already been deposited into the UN Trust Fund, ensuring continued support.
While acknowledging that a portion of the U.S. contribution, amounting to $15 million, has been temporarily withheld due to a U.S. presidential directive, the government assured that the mission is well-resourced until September 2025.
Kenya and its partners remain committed to transitioning the mission into a fully UN-led operation, which would guarantee long-term financial sustainability and a stable security mandate for Haiti.
Mwaura reaffirmed Kenya’s unwavering dedication to global peacekeeping efforts, urging citizens to support the mission’s noble cause.
The press release comes a few hours after National Security Advisor to the President Monica Juma said that there is enough funding to cater for the officers who are on a peacekeeping mission in Haiti.
In a statement on Wednesday, Juma said there is approximately $110 million (Sh12.9 billion, which is sufficient to continue operations.
“There are sufficient funds in the UN Trust Fund for Haiti from other countries (approximately $110M) to continue operations,” she said.
She noted that despite financial setbacks, the Multinational Security Mission (MSS) remains a priority.
Her assurance comes shortly after the US government froze more than US$13 million (Sh1.7 billion) in funding for the Kenya-led MSS in Haiti.
The international security mission, while approved by the UN Security Council, is not a United Nations operation and currently relies on voluntary contributions.
The mission has so far been realised and is making little progress with nearly 900 police and troops from Kenya, El Salvador, Jamaica, Guatemala and Belize.
More than $110 million has been paid into a UN trust fund for the mission, more than half of it from Canada, according to UN data.
Just hours after taking office on January 20, Trump ordered a 90-day pause so foreign aid contributions could be reviewed to see if they align with his “America First” foreign policy.
The Kenya-led mission remains dependent on voluntary contributions, which have so far been limited.
Leave a comment