NAIROBI, Kenya – President William Ruto held a phone conversation with UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Thursday evening to discuss the escalating crisis in Haiti, where Kenyan police officers are leading a UN-backed Multinational Security Support (MSS) Mission.
In a statement posted on social media, Ruto said Guterres “acknowledged Kenya’s leadership role” and commended its “steadfast commitment” to stabilizing the Caribbean nation.
Kenya has deployed over 800 police officers to Haiti since June 2024.
However, the mission has come under pressure as violence by criminal gangs in Port-au-Prince and surrounding areas intensifies.
So far, two Kenyan officers have been killed, and at least three others injured.
Some personnel on the ground have raised concerns over a lack of resources, hindering operations.
The conversation between Ruto and Guterres comes as Haiti’s capital was rocked by one of the largest protests since the 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moïse.
Thousands marched on Wednesday, demanding the resignation of transitional authorities and police leadership amid rising gang control and government paralysis.
Protesters, some armed with machetes and firearms, clashed with riot police who reportedly fired tear gas and live rounds.
The march was organized by a police officer who also leads a self-defense brigade in Canapé-Vert, a neighborhood recently hit by gang attacks.
The protest also coincided with a gang-led prison break in the rural town of Mirebalais, where over 500 inmates were freed and two Roman Catholic nuns were killed.
Widespread looting and arson followed, displacing nearly 6,000 people, according to the UN’s migration agency.
Despite a political accord signed in March 2024 aiming to restore stability, 90% of Port-au-Prince is now believed to be under gang control, and elections remain unlikely this year.
I held a telephone conversation with United Nations Secretary-General @antonioguterres, during which we discussed the UN’s continued support for the Multinational Security Support Mission in Haiti. He acknowledged Kenya’s leadership role and commended our steadfast commitment to