Kenya to lead Haiti mission once new govt in place: Ruto

President William Ruto said on Wednesday he had reassured the United States that Kenya would lead a multinational mission to tackle spiralling violence in Haiti once a presidential council was set up in the Caribbean nation.

The East African country announced on Tuesday it was putting on hold plans to send police to gang-ridden Haiti, throwing the future of the UN-backed mission in doubt.

The move came after Haiti's Prime Minister Ariel Henry said he had agreed to step aside in a bid to staunch worsening violence that has left public services shattered, many people displaced and bodies strewn in the streets.

Ruto said he spoke with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken over the developments and underscored Kenya's commitment to the mission.

Legal challenges

"He informed me that a new presidential council will be formed shortly to manage the situation in Haiti," Ruto said on social media.

"I assured secretary Blinken that Kenya will take leadership... as soon as the presidential council is in place under an agreed process."

Kenya pledged to deploy up to 1,000 personnel to Haiti last July, an offer welcomed by the United States and other nations that had ruled out putting their own forces on the ground.

But the planned mission has faced legal challenges.

Fresh challenge

In January, Kenya's High Court ruled that the National Security Council – which authorised the deployment – only has the authority to send the military abroad and not police officers.

The judge said Kenya could deploy police to a country if a reciprocal agreement existed.

Such a deal was signed on March 1 in the presence of Ruto and Haiti's Henry.

However an opposition politician who petitioned the Nairobi High Court against the deployment has vowed a fresh challenge.

Interim leader

Caribbean leaders and international players, notably Blinken, thrashed out a deal at talks in Jamaica on Monday in which Henry will cede power to a new transitional council, which will name an interim leader before holding elections.

Haiti has not held elections since 2016 and Henry has been in power, officially as a transitional figure, since the 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moise.