Haiti Mission In Limbo: US Freezes Funds And Kenyan Activist Questions Ruto’s Intentions

The US decision to freeze 13.3 million dollars in funding for the UN-backed Multinational Security Support mission in Haiti has cast doubts over the future of the Kenya-led deployment triggering sharp criticism from Kenyan activist Dr Isaac Newton Kinity.

The funding freeze part of a broader 90-day pause on foreign aid comes as the mission struggles to take off amid logistical and political uncertainties. The US had initially committed 15 million dollars to the initiative’s trust fund but only 1.7 million had been utilized before the halt.

However, Dr Kinity has strongly questioned President William Ruto’s motivations behind the Haiti mission raising concerns over his governance record in Kenya.

“We tried our level best to question why William Ruto depicted so much mercy for the Haitians, when at the same time in his home he impoverished millions of Kenyans through racing in a looting spree which placed him as number two in the world on corruption.”he said.

He also condemned the violent crackdown on Kenyan protesters, referencing previous incidents where young demonstrators lost their lives.

“And he killed hundreds of young men and women who raised up their voices.”he added sharing clips of past protests.

With US funding now frozen Dr Kinity posed a critical question;

“What will William Ruto do with the Kenyan police in Haiti Now that all the money he was getting from the USA in the name of funding the askaris has been stopped?”

Despite the setback, the Kenyan government maintains that the mission will proceed as planned. Government Spokesperson, Isaac Mwaura reassured that there is sufficient funding to sustain operations until September 2025 while Principal Secretary of the Foreign Ministry Korir Sing’oei stated that additional funds amounting to approximately 600 million dollars have already been pledged for the MSS mission.

Kenya is also exploring ways to transition the mission into a full UN operation to access more direct funding

As financial uncertainties loom, concerns persist over Kenya’s continued involvement in Haiti and the broader implications for its security and governance at home.

Daisy Moraa

Rongo University