President William Ruto chatting with Kenyan police deployed in Haiti. Photo | Kenya Foreign Policy.
The United States has confirmed that it has not halted all assistance to the Kenya-led peacekeeping Mission in Haiti.
In a statement on Thursday, February 7, 2025, the US Embassy Haiti said that the Department of State has approved waivers amounting to Sh5.2 Billion to ensure a seamless flow of the peacekeeping mission.
According to the embassy, the waivers are set to cover various services, including a vehicle maintenance contract, a medical services contract, transportation services for Department of State-provided equipment deliveries, and subject matter experts contracts with the HNP.
Furthermore, the Embassy has confirmed that the US had delivered heavy armored vehicles to the MSS mission and the Haitian National Police (HNP)
“On the contrary, Secretary Rubio approved waivers to allow for millions of dollars in mission-critical assistance to the MSS mission and Haitian National Police (HNP),” it stated.
The announcement comes a day after UN Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric revealed in a press conference on Wednesday, February 5, that Donald Trump’s administration will halt Sh1.7 billion meant for the mission.
The government spokesperson Isaac Mwaura, on Wednesday, February 5, however, assured the continuity of the mission.
On January 19, 2025, Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen announced the arrival of 217 more Kenyan troops in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, to provide additional support for the mission.
Musk-led DOGE Freezes USAID
This comes a day after tech Billionaire Elon Musk Hinted on Tuesday, February 4 during an X space that Trump’s administration was going the US foreign aid was going to be shut down completely.
In a statement Tuesday, February 5 USAID, noted that it will also terminate all PSC and ISC contracts that are non essential.
According to USAID only designated personnel responsible for mission-critical functions, core leadership, and specially designated programs will be exempted for the leave.
USAID has however not disclosed when the employees are set to resume duty.
“Essential personnel expected to continue working will be informed by agency leadership by Thursday, February 6 at 3:00 PM,” the statement read.
Furthermore, USAID has further spotlighted that it will lay out travel arrangements to ensure that employees who are currently posted outside the United States, will return to the United States within 30 days.
USAID has however assured that it will offer travel extensions based on factors such as personal or family hardships, mobility, or safety concerns.
“For USAID personnel currently posted outside the United States, the agency, in coordination with missions and the department of States, is currently preparing a plan in accordance with all applicable requirements and laws under which the agency would arrange and pay for travel to the United states,” it stated.
The directive comes weeks after the US President Donald Trump signed an executive order suspending US foreign aid for 90 days in several countries including Kenya, a decision that has already rendered hundreds of Kenyans jobless.
On Monday, February 3, the treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi revealed that the government was going to slash part of the development budget and finance critical programmes that were heavily dependent n foreign aid.
“There is no cause for alarm as I have started to put measures in place to ensure that health programmes that depended heavily on foreign aid are not paralysed,” Mbadi said.
According to Aid Data Network, the US contributes approximately Sh252 billion annually to Kenya’s economy including Sh129.4 billion in direct aid which has played a key role in the country’s economic metamorphosis.
