Victoria Rubadiri casts doubt on Kenyan police’s ability to handle Haiti situation
CNN journalist Victoria Rubadiri has raised concerns about Kenya’s ability to manage the worsening security crisis in Haiti.
In a post shared on X on Tuesday, May 23, 2025, Rubadiri questioned the effectiveness of the Kenyan contingent deployed to restore order in the country, noting that nearly a year since their deployment, 90% of Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince, remains under gang control despite the troops’ presence.
“It’s almost a year since Kenyan troops were deployed to Haiti. Still, 90% of the capital, Port-au-Prince, is under gang control,” Rubadiri Says
Rubadiri highlighted that the mission remains significantly understaffed and underfunded.
Out of the 2,500 personnel originally pledged, only 40% have been deployed, raising doubts about the mission’s capacity to make any substantial progress.
According to Rubadiri, the limited numbers and lack of resources have left Kenyan troops overwhelmed on the ground, with expectations from the international community, especially the US, mounting.
“The Kenyan contingent is still understaffed and underfunded, with only about 40% of the 2,500 personnel originally promised so far deployed. The US wants results – Kenyan troops know that, but can only do so much with the cards they’ve been dealt,” Rubadiri added.
She also referenced the urgency of the situation, recalling recent warnings from UN officials stationed in Haiti.
One such warning suggested that the country could soon reach a point of no return if the security situation continues to deteriorate and the armed gangs remain unchecked.
“Not too long ago, Maria Isabel Salvador, a Haiti-based UN official, warned the country could reach ‘a point of no return’ if security forces cannot break the gangs,” Rubadiri concluded.
Murkomen’s comments on the mission
This comes days after Interior CS Kipchumba Murkomen’s comments on the matter, where he offered a different perspective.
He stated that the Kenyan police in Haiti are making significant strides, and by October 2025, when the mission is expected to end, they will have made notable progress in restoring peace.
He added that what will remain after Kenya’s exit will be more manageable for Haiti to handle, allowing the country to pick up from where Kenya will have left off.
Murkomen further noted that the Kenyan troops will return home and resume other roles within the police service, having gained valuable experience from the mission.
Kenyan police deployment to Haiti
Since June 2024, around 800 Kenyan police officers have been deployed to Haiti under the UN-backed Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission.
Their mandate is to combat gang violence and help restore order in a country where armed groups control the majority of the capital, Port-au-Prince.
In February 2025, the mission received an additional boost with the arrival of 144 more officers, including the first female Kenyan police officers to join the mission.
Led by Kenya and backed by countries such as Jamaica and Guatemala, the MSS mission operates alongside Haiti’s National Police in efforts to push back against gangs that now dominate nearly 90% of the capital.
Despite the show of international cooperation, the mission has come at a cost.
The Kenyan deployment has already suffered casualties.
In February 2025, Officer Samuel Tompoi Kaetuai was killed in a gang ambush.
A month later, in March, two other Kenyan officers were seriously injured, and another was reported missing during an attack.
