- Ruto said the situation in Haiti requires the support of all nations.
- He said Kenya will undertake the peace-keeping mission bestowed upon it.
Image: PCS
President William Ruto has committed to work closely with the United States government to bring peace to Haiti and fight terrorism.
Ruto spoke when he met U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin at the Pentagon in Virginia on Friday.
"We have undertaken the responsibility bestowed on us by the international community to lead our troops to Haiti. And as I said we consider the situation in Haiti that it requires the input of all nations who believe in the rule of law and freedom," Ruto said.
"It is time that we all showed up for Haiti and I promise you that we will be working with your teams to see how we can do this together."
Austin said Kenya's support in the peace-keeping mission in Haiti shows the important role Kenya plays in the global sphere.
"We also appreciate Kenya's contribution to UN international stability and peace approaches. We are also grateful for Kenya's general support in hosting US forces in Mandabay," Austin said.
Austin noted that Kenya and the US have agreed to expand the Manda Bay military base.
He said the new agreement is a testament to the growing relationship between the two countries as well as the commitment the US has to strengthen Kenyans military capabilities to fight terrorism.
Ruto said indeed the expansion of Manda Bay as a military base will strengthen Kenya's ability to counter terrorism.
"We will also be discussing our joint approach to the situation in Somalia," Ruto said.
Ruto called on the European Union and President Joe Biden among other friends to continue working with Kenya in the fight against terrorism.
Ruto now said Kenya's police peacekeeping force is expected to arrive in Haiti to help quell growing gang violence in about three weeks.
In an interview with the BBC, Ruto confirmed a planning team was already in Haiti and had met local police to secure arrangements before the Kenyan troops were deployed.
Ruto's comments came as he concluded a three-day trip to Washington DC, the first official state visit of any African leader to the US in over 15 years.
The officers were expected to start arriving before the end of May but an advance team on the ground said some logistics were not ready hence the extension by two more weeks.
This means the latest they can arrive is June 15.
More than 1,000 police officers will join other teams in deploying to Haiti to fight gangs terrorizing locals.
Apart from Kenya, other countries that will send officers to Haiti are; Chile, Jamaica, Grenada, Paraguay, Burundi, Chad, Nigeria and Mauritius.