Kenyan Police Mission in Haiti Secures Funding Until March 2025: Ruto

Addressing the press at State House, the president explained that the mission has a budget that will support the officers until March next year. 

He, however, appealed to the foreign nations that pledged to support the mission to honour their commitment to cater for other capabilities. 

The mission, according to President Ruto, is slated to end in October 2025. 

"We have a budget that takes us to March next year in terms of supporting our officers on the ground including those joining us on the ground," Ruto said.

"We are asking the international community to step up because our mandate extends to October next year."

He noted that countries such as United States had also pledged to cater for transport and other equipment that would aid the officers in restoring peace in the conflict riddled nation. 

"I had different meetings at the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), I engaged with Secretary of State Antony Blinken who committed to provide more capabilities in terms of transport and other facilities that would help us. 10 days ago, schools were opened in Haiti, that's an act of courage," President Ruto added. 

On his part, Haiti Prime Minister Dr Garry Conille lauded the Kenyan officers for securing airports and other critical administrative centres in the country by suppressing the gangs that have wreaked havoc since President Jovenel Moïse's assassination in 2021. 

"I have been in patrol at 1:00 am in centres of the city, they have helped us to secure our airports, involved in patrolling our administrative and working closely to secure the North and address the current threat with the gang. They're doing so with the level of professionalism that we've learned to trust and admire," he noted. 

President Ruto confirmed that an additional 600 officers, that were undergoing pre-deployment training, would land in Haiti in November. This will bring the total number of Kenyan officers in Haiti to 1,000.