President William Ruto has voiced concern over the safety of Kenyan police officers in Haiti, saying they are forced to use second-hand vehicles that often break down in dangerous zones.

Speaking at a High-Level Meeting on Haiti in New York on September 22, 2025, Ruto disclosed that the mission is operating at just 40 per cent of its intended strength. While the plan was to deploy 2,500 officers, fewer than 1,000 are currently in the field.

Of the 989 officers present, 735 are from Kenya, 150 from Guatemala, 78 from El Salvador, 23 from Jamaica, three from the Bahamas, and one from Canada.

The Kenyan Head of State sharply criticised the United States (US) government under President Donald Trump, singling out the superpower country for providing vehicles that are of low quality towards the Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission in Haiti.

“It was expected that there would be force multipliers such as armoured personnel carriers and enough logistical support to make this mission successful,” Ruto said.

“The United States did provide vehicles, but unfortunately, most of them were second-hand. They broke down many times, often in dangerous places, which put our personnel at great risk. But at least they stepped up. We did not, however, get any useful support from other quarters.”

“If we are sending an additional team, the mandate must be clear. We must also have a predictable resource package. It cannot be what Kenya has been through, which is a game of guesswork, if we are serious about solving the matter of Haiti,” he said.

“The international community must stand up for the people of Haiti. The gangs, in my opinion, are cowards who have literally gone into hiding, often resurfacing with guerrilla warfare tactics,” Ruto added.