Foreign policy analyst Ahmed Hashi has sharply criticized President William Ruto’s handling of the Kenya-led Multinational Security Support Mission (MSS) in Haiti, warning that inadequate preparation and reliance on external aid risk undermining Kenya’s global credibility.
Speaking on Spice FM, Hashi questioned why Kenyan forces were deployed without first securing essential resources, training, and logistical support. His remarks came after President Ruto admitted at the UN General Assembly in New York that the MSS has been operating at only 40% capacity due to shortages of personnel, equipment, and reliable vehicles.
“Didn’t President Ruto and his foreign minister have a checklist of what they needed when they were going to Haiti?” Hashi asked, noting that troops lacked air cover and adequate preparation to operate safely.
Hashi argued that international missions require months of specialized training and robust self-sufficiency to avoid overdependence on Western support. “You can’t keep going to the Americans or the Europeans and say we’re building world peace but don’t have the infrastructure for our soldiers,” he said, urging Kenya to strengthen its own operational capacity.
Ruto, while commending U.S. contributions, disclosed that many vehicles supplied were second-hand and prone to breakdowns, leaving Kenyan officers vulnerable in hostile areas. He has called for greater global commitment, warning that without predictable funding and logistics, future peacekeeping efforts could falter.
Kenya currently contributes 735 of the 989 officers in the mission, alongside forces from Guatemala, El Salvador, Jamaica, The Bahamas, and Canada. The operation, launched in June 2024 with UN Security Council backing, has faced persistent gang violence in Port-au-Prince and suffered casualties, including the deaths of at least three Kenyan officers.
With the MSS mandate expiring on October 2, Washington and Port-au-Prince are pressing to expand and reorganize the mission. President Ruto has urged the international community to support a successor force built on clear mandates, predictable resources, and reliable logistics — lessons Hashi says Kenya must also internalize to lead effectively on the global stage.
