NAIROBI, Kenya, Oct 3 — Kenya’s role in gang-ravaged Haiti stands at a crossroads after the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) voted to wind down the Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission and replace it with a stronger Gang Suppression Force (GSF).
The MSS officially ended on October 2 following the adoption of Resolution 2793, leaving questions over whether Nairobi’s 735 deployed officers will return home or integrate into the new GSF.
The resolution, backed by 12 members with three abstentions—China, Russia, and Pakistan—authorized the GSF for an initial 12 months with more than 5,500 personnel, five times the size of the MSS.
Unlike the MSS, which largely supported the Haitian National Police, the GSF will operate under a Chapter VII mandate, enabling it to conduct proactive counter-gang operations, secure key infrastructure, and restore state control.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio hailed the vote as “an important step” toward stabilizing Haiti.
“This is a critical effort to restore order, protect lives, and support Haiti’s path to stability and democracy,” Rubio said, adding that the new mission would rely on international burden-sharing.
Mission lacked the scale
US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz praised Kenya and other MSS contributors—including Jamaica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Belize, the Bahamas, and Canada—for their sacrifices, but admitted the MSS “lacked the scale, scope, and resources” to dismantle Haiti’s armed gangs.
Kenya, which deployed its first contingent in June 2025, has borne the brunt of the mission, providing nearly three-quarters of its manpower.
But Nairobi has voiced frustration over broken donor promises and inadequate equipment, with President William Ruto recently warning that the MSS was operating at just 40 percent capacity.
The deployment has also come at a human cost. Kenya has lost three officers in Haiti, including one killed in an ambush earlier this year.
MFA silent on next steps
Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Korir Sing’oei welcomed the UNSC’s resolution on Thursday but stopped short of confirming Kenya’s next steps.
“This is a policy decision to be made in due course and will be communicated,” he said, noting that the transition reflects lessons learned from the MSS.
President Ruto has previously expressed willingness for Kenya to remain engaged in Haiti but stressed that any successor mission must be backed by predictable resources, reliable logistics, and a clear mandate.
“If we are sending an additional security team to Haiti, the mandate must be clear … and we must have a predictable resource package,” he said, adding that Kenya would support the transition to the GSF but insisted that “the international community must no longer fail the Haitian people.”
Back home, however, calls are mounting for the officers to be recalled. Former Senior Economic Adviser to the President Moses Kuria welcomed the UNSC decision, describing it as the end of Kenya’s “misadventure” in the Caribbean.
He urged Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja to redeploy returning officers to Nairobi’s streets to tackle rising insecurity.
“I appeal to the Inspector General to deploy the returning forces to the streets of Nairobi to put an end to daylight muggings and pickpocketings,” Kuria said.
For now, Kenya’s 735 officers remain stationed in Port-au-Prince, awaiting policy guidance from Nairobi on whether they will integrate into the GSF or return home.
