Kenya’s mission in Haiti will continue until at least September 2025, despite a recent funding freeze by the United States, Principal Secretary for Foreign Affairs Korir Sing’Oei has confirmed.
In a statement posted on X on Wednesday, February 5, 2025, Sing’Oei addressed concerns over the fate of Kenya’s deployment, emphasizing that the mission has sufficient funding for the foreseeable future.
“The UN Trust Fund for Haiti is the fund that supports the Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission in Haiti as established in October 2023 by UNSCR 2699.
“The Kenyan-led MSS has police deployments from not just Kenya but also Guatemala, Jamaica, El Salvador, Bahamas, and Belize, among others.
“As of the end of 2024, US$110.3 million had been pledged by several countries, including the USA, Canada, France, Turkey, Spain, Italy, and Algeria. $85 million had been received by the Trust Fund, including substantial amounts from the United States,” Sing’Oei wrote.
He acknowledged that while the undisbursed US contribution to the Trust Fund of $15 million has been paused as per President Donald Trump’s directive, the fund has sufficient resources to continue underwriting the mission until the end of September 2025.
Sing’Oei also reiterated that transitioning the mission into a fully-fledged UN peacekeeping operation to ensure its long-term financial sustainability remains a key priority for Kenya and its international partners.
“While undisbursed US contribution to the Trust Fund of $15 million has been paused as per presidential directive, the Fund has sufficient resources to continue underwriting the Mission until end of September 2025.
“The transition of the Mission to a full UN Mission to ensure financial sustainability is a key priority to which Kenya and all partners are committed,” Sing’Oei clarified.
US freezes contributions to Haiti mission
The US notified the United Nations on Tuesday, February 4, 2025, that it is freezing some funding to the UN-backed mission in Haiti, which was launched to combat gangs attempting to seize control of the country’s capital.
The UN acknowledged the US’s decision, stating that the funding freeze would have an immediate impact.
The United States has been the largest contributor to the mission led by Kenyan police, which has faced challenges, including funding shortfalls and limited personnel.
UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric noted that the US had pledged Ksh1.9 billion ($15 million) to the trust fund, but with Ksh219 million ($1.7 million) already spent, the remaining Ksh1.6 billion ($13.3 million) is now on hold.
“We will await further guidance from the U.S. regarding its contribution,” the UN stated while acknowledging that the fund currently holds less than Ksh12.9 billion ($100 million) of the estimated Ksh77.4 billion ($600 million) required annually for the multinational force.
Trump administration’s foreign aid freeze
The funding freeze comes amid a broader directive by US President Donald Trump to halt foreign assistance, leading to widespread disruptions across global aid programs.
Thousands of US aid agency employees and contractors have been laid off, while numerous humanitarian projects face shutdowns.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has authorized a waiver for life-saving programs, but uncertainty over exemptions has created confusion, further hindering aid and development efforts worldwide.
On January 29, 2025, US State Department approved an aid freeze waiver of Ksh5.2 billion ($41 million) for the Haiti mission, while additional waiver requests for more than Ksh3.8 billion ($30 million) in assistance remain pending.
Kenya’s commitment to Haiti mission
Despite financial uncertainties, Kenya has reaffirmed its commitment to leading the MSS mission in Haiti.
The government, alongside international partners, is working towards ensuring continued operations in the troubled Caribbean nation.
While the funding freeze poses potential challenges, Sing’Oei’s statement suggests that efforts are underway to secure alternative financial structures, possibly under a full UN mandate.
The upcoming months will be critical in determining the Haiti mission’s trajectory and the role Kenya will continue to play in restoring order in the embattled Caribbean island nation.
