President William Ruto on Friday dismissed allegations that the Kenyan police officers in Haiti were yet to receive their monthly remunerations despite an initial promise for timely disbursements.
The Head of State while addressing the press alongside Haiti Prime Minister Garry Conille at State House in Nairobi, clarified that the mission received adequate funding to facilitate the police operations up to March next year.
According to President Ruto, necessary measures had already been taken to ensure that the officers did not fall short of key resources while fighting the gangs in the Caribbean nation. “We have a budget that takes us to March next year, so in terms of being able to support our officers on the ground including those joining next month have adequate resources,” Ruto told the press.
During the presser, the Head of State also rallied the international community to step up their mandate and support the Multinational Security Support Mission led by Kenya.
“Kenya and Haiti, therefore, stand united in calling on the international community to urgently rally behind this Mission. The adoption by the United Nations Security Council to extend the term of the MSS by another year signals strong global support,” Ruto said.
"Words and pledges must be matched by concrete action. We therefore strongly implore our global partners to accelerate their contribution to the personnel, logistics and financial resources necessary to sustain and expand the Mission," he added.
Ruto went ahead to commend the Kenyan officers who are currently in Haiti, highlighting the immense progress the officers had made in restoring peace in the war-torn nation. The Kenyan president in his speech noted that the officers jointly with the Haitian police were able to recapture key sites such as the general hospital, the port and the National Palace.
The Head of State while underscoring the need for more reinforcement in the mission, pledged to send an additional 600 police officers to the Caribbean nation by November this year.
According to President Ruto, the conduct of the Kenyan peacekeepers was a testament to the integrity of the country's security deployments within Kenya and even around the world.
"Today, we discussed ways to sustain and build on that momentum. This is a battle we can win if our friends stand resolutely in solidarity with Haiti. I commend the demonstrated professionalism of the MSS and urge them to remain steadfast in discharging their responsibilities," Ruto revealed.
Garry Conille's visit to Kenya comes barely a fortnight after President Ruto paid a visit to Haiti to assess the status of the Multinational Security Support Mission which is led by the Kenyan police.