Kenyan officers participating the MSS mission in Haiti/FILEKenya will be reimbursed for funds already spent on deploying its police officers to Haiti as part of the Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission, Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Korir Sing’oei has reassured.
Sing’oei said the financial arrangement falls within a formal framework established under the United Nations trust fund for the Haiti mission.
“There is a written understanding that expenditures incurred by Kenya in deploying its officers will be reimbursed through the UN trust fund,” said Sing’oei in an interview.
"This ensures that our contribution to the MSS mission does not place undue strain on our national resources.”
At the same time, he called on the United Nations to adopt a more structured and sustainable approach to financing the mission, emphasising the need for predictability and efficiency in resource mobilisation.
“The trust fund mechanism must be more robust and responsive if the MSS mission is to achieve its objectives effectively,” he stated.
Kenya is leading the international effort to stabilise Haiti following a request by the Haitian government and endorsement by the UN Security Council.
Its contribution in terms of the number is slightly above 800 from its pledge of 1,000 officers.
Other countries with officers currently in the nation under MSS are Jamaica, El Salvador and Guatemala.
The US, which spearheaded the creation of the MSS through the Security Council, committed over $600 million of financial and operational support to Kenya and the mission.
Official reports indicate that the funds in the dedicated trust fund, which is a contribution from various countries supporting it amounts to about $110 million (Sh14.3 billion).
In a supplementary budget before the National Assembly, the Liaison Committee accepted a Sh2.5 billion request by the national government to support the mission.
This is in addition to a Sh2.1 billion sought earlier by the government.
When he appeared before the committee, Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi stated that the amount would be reimbursed.
“This money we are spending on behalf of the UN. We are the ones making the payment, so the money comes from our exchequer because these are our officers,” Mbadi said when questioned about the expenditure.
“So we pay, and they refund.”
