Maraga faults Ruto for bypassing parliament on Haiti police deployment
By Ascah Mwango, July 16, 2025Retired Chief Justice David Maraga has criticised President William Ruto for sending Kenyan police officers to Haiti without involving Parliament and the public.
Speaking during an interview on a local TV station on Tuesday, July 15, 2025, Maraga said the decision to deploy police to another country is a national matter that should have gone through proper channels, including parliamentary approval and public participation.
“I don’t think Kenyan Police should be in Haiti. The President cannot, on his own, decide to send police to Haiti. This is a national issue that should have been discussed in Parliament and public participation involved,” Maraga stated.
Haiti mission
Kenya began sending police officers to Haiti in June 2024 as part of the United Nations-backed Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission.
The mission was authorised by the UN Security Council and is being led by Kenyan commanders. The aim was to help restore order in Haiti, which has been struggling with extreme gang violence.
The first group of about 400 Kenyan officers landed in Haiti on June 25, 2024. Another 200 officers were sent in mid-July 2024, followed by 217 more in January 2025. This brought the total number of Kenyan officers in the mission to over 600, with the Kenyan government pledging to eventually send 1,000 officers.
A year into the mission, only around 991 officers, mostly Kenyans, had been deployed. This is less than half of the target of 2,500 personnel. The mission has been operating with severe shortages of troops, equipment, and funds, and is currently working at under 30 per cent of its planned capacity. Despite the challenges, the force has managed to establish two strategic bases in Haiti’s Artibonite region, a hotspot for gang activity.
Kenyan officers have been involved in heavy clashes with armed gangs. The mission recorded its first Kenyan fatality on February 24, 2025, during operations in Artibonite. On March 25, another officer was killed in a gang ambush, and one officer went missing. The attack also destroyed several armoured vehicles. In April 2025, two more officers were seriously injured during ongoing fighting.
These incidents have raised concerns about the safety and readiness of the officers deployed. Some have reported having inadequate protective gear, and armoured vehicles have been damaged by bullets. MSS leaders are now lobbying international partners, especially the U.S. and UN member states, to provide better equipment and more funding.
The disappearance of Officer Benedict Kuria, who was ambushed in March, has added to the growing distress. While reports from Haitian media suggest he may have been killed, Kenyan authorities say the search is still ongoing.