The United States government has commended the Kenyan police serving in Haiti for their pivotal role in the ongoing multinational security mission, even as discussions advance on altering the structure and leadership of the force.
Speaking in Port-au-Prince on Friday, August 22, US Ambassador to Haiti Henry Wooster expressed satisfaction with Kenya’s performance since its deployment in 2023 to help restore order in the Caribbean nation plagued by gang violence.
“The Kenyans have done everything we have asked them to do, everything we have asked them to do,” Wooster told journalists, lauding the contingent’s discipline and effectiveness in fulfilling its mandate.
However, Wooster also revealed that Washington is pushing for a recalibration of the Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission. The US intends to double the number of troops, expand resources, and revise operational strategies to better address Haiti’s spiraling security crisis.
“We want to take this force, the MSS, and alter it so that it’s better able. We want it to have all the assets, the authorities, the personnel, and the equipment to do what’s necessary here,” Wooster explained. He added that the mission’s leadership and operational framework are under review to ensure they align with the complex challenges on the ground.
These remarks come just two days after US Deputy Chief of Mission Kimberly Penland disclosed that Washington is preparing a resolution for the United Nations Security Council. The draft, echoing proposals from UN Secretary-General António Guterres, calls for peacekeeping funds to provide logistical and operational support while introducing wider structural reforms to the mission.
“If the Security Council adopts this model, we will also seek robust regional participation to provide strategic leadership of the force,” Penland told the Council.
The potential changes are unfolding against a backdrop of escalating violence in Haiti, where powerful gangs control large swathes of the capital, leaving thousands dead and displacing entire communities.
While Kenya’s leadership has drawn international praise, the recalibration efforts suggest a possible shift in command as global powers move to scale up the mission. For now, the Kenyan police remain at the heart of efforts to stabilize Haiti, even as the next phase of the mission takes shape.
