Kenya has won rare international recognition after the United Nations Security Council approved the deployment of a new 5,550-strong Gang Suppression Force (GSF) to stabilize Haiti, replacing the smaller Kenyan-led mission that has struggled to contain spiraling violence in Port-au-Prince.
The decision marks a diplomatic breakthrough for President William Ruto’s government, which has spent the past year pressing world powers to act on Haiti’s worsening security crisis. Gangs now control about 85 per cent of the capital, and more than 5,500 people were killed in 2024 alone.
Kenya was the first country to step forward, sending officers under the Multinational Security Support Mission (MSS). But with fewer than 1,000 personnel deployed against heavily armed militias, the mission fell short of its 2,500 target. Three Kenyan officers have lost their lives in clashes since the deployment began.
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Despite the risks, Nairobi maintained its commitment—an early sacrifice that diplomats say gave Kenya credibility to demand wider global backing.
“This has been a rough road but well worth it. Kenya has demonstrated leadership. Through sacrifice on the ground and tireless diplomacy, President Ruto secured UN support for a far larger mission,” said a Western diplomat based in Nairobi.
At the UN General Assembly last month, Ruto framed Haiti as a moral test of international solidarity. He argued that if Kenya was willing to put its officers in harm’s way for global stability, others had no excuse to stand aside. That message gained traction in bilateral talks, African Union meetings, and with initially skeptical Caribbean nations.
Behind the scenes, Kenya’s intelligence chief, Noordin Haji, bolstered the case by sharing detailed assessments of gang networks, arms flows, and casualty figures with foreign counterparts. The data convinced hesitant governments that Haiti required not just symbolic peacekeepers, but a robust, combat-capable force.
The turning point came when Washington shifted its stance. The U.S., which had provided logistical support but resisted deeper involvement, threw its weight behind an expanded mandate once Kenya showed it would not abandon the mission.
“The current mission lacked the scale and resources needed. This vote transforms it into the Gang Suppression Force—five times bigger, with a stronger mandate,” U.S. Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz said.
With the resolution passed, the UN will also set up a permanent support office in Haiti to ensure logistics and coordination.
For Kenya, the symbolism is significant. It is rare for an African nation to lead a UN-authorized security mission of this scale. Analysts say the move elevates Nairobi’s foreign policy profile from a regional stabilizer to a global actor willing to take on responsibility beyond the continent.
Challenges remain. The timeline for troop deployment is unclear, and it is not yet known which countries will contribute forces to the GSF. Haiti’s gangs remain deeply entrenched, and past interventions have struggled to achieve lasting stability.
Even so, Kenya has already secured what many view as a diplomatic victory. By stepping forward when others hesitated—and paying in blood—Nairobi has turned a lonely mission into one of the most ambitious international stabilization efforts of the decade.
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Kenya has won rare international recognition after the United Nations Security Council approved the deployment of a new 5,550-strong Gang Suppression Force (GSF) to stabilize Haiti, replacing the smaller Kenyan-led mission that has struggled to contain spiraling violence in Port-au-Prince.
The decision marks a diplomatic breakthrough for President William Ruto’s government, which has spent the past year pressing world powers to act on Haiti’s worsening security crisis. Gangs now control about 85 per cent of the capital, and more than 5,500 people were killed in 2024 alone.
Kenya was the first country to step forward, sending officers under the Multinational Security Support Mission (MSS). But with fewer than 1,000 personnel deployed against heavily armed militias, the mission fell short of its 2,500 target. Three Kenyan officers have lost their lives in clashes since the deployment began.
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Despite the risks, Nairobi maintained its commitment—an early sacrifice that diplomats say gave Kenya credibility to demand wider global backing.
“This has been a rough road but well worth it. Kenya has demonstrated leadership. Through sacrifice on the ground and tireless diplomacy, President Ruto secured UN support for a far larger mission,”
said a Western diplomat based in Nairobi.
At the UN General Assembly last month, Ruto framed Haiti as a moral test of international solidarity. He argued that if Kenya was willing to put its officers in harm’s way for global stability, others had no excuse to stand aside. That message gained traction in bilateral talks, African Union meetings, and with initially skeptical Caribbean nations.
Behind the scenes, Kenya’s intelligence chief, Noordin Haji, bolstered the case by sharing detailed assessments of gang networks, arms flows, and casualty figures with foreign counterparts. The data convinced hesitant governments that Haiti required not just symbolic peacekeepers, but a robust, combat-capable force.
The turning point came when Washington shifted its stance. The U.S., which had provided logistical support but resisted deeper involvement, threw its weight behind an expanded mandate once Kenya showed it would not abandon the mission.
“The current mission lacked the scale and resources needed. This vote transforms it into the Gang Suppression Force—five times bigger, with a stronger mandate,”
U.S. Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz said.
With the resolution passed, the UN will also set up a permanent support office in Haiti to ensure logistics and coordination.
For Kenya, the symbolism is significant. It is rare for an African nation to lead a UN-authorized security mission of this scale. Analysts say the move elevates Nairobi’s foreign policy profile from a regional stabilizer to a global actor willing to take on responsibility beyond the continent.
Challenges remain. The timeline for troop deployment is unclear, and it is not yet known which countries will contribute forces to the GSF. Haiti’s gangs remain deeply entrenched, and past interventions have struggled to achieve lasting stability.
Even so, Kenya has already secured what many view as a diplomatic victory. By stepping forward when others hesitated—and paying in blood—Nairobi has turned a lonely mission into one of the most ambitious international stabilization efforts of the decade.
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By Japheth Makau