Kenya spent Sh181m on MSS Haiti mission – Report

It has emerged that the government authorised Sh181 million expenditure in September to support the Multinational Security Support mission in Hait.
The budget implementation review report for the first quarter of 2024-25, shows that Controller of Budget, Margaret Nyakan’go, granted the approval of expenditure of Sh181,079,483 on19 September, 2024.
The report indicates that the amount was slightly lower by Sh17,482 than the amount initially approved by the Treasury Cabinet Secretary.
The approval was made under Article 223 of the constitution, which permits Ministries, Departments, and Agencies to draw additional funds during the budget implementation phase.
Kenyan Police landing in Haiti for peace keeping mission. Photo courtesy Haiti handouts
The approval, made in respect to the National Police Service, accounted for 0.02 per cent of the net budget estimates, staying well within the constitutional 10 per cent ceiling.
The expenditure contradicts previous stand by government that no taxpayer funds were being used for the MSS mission.
Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Korir Sing’oei recently came out and made clarifications about the contradiction.
According to Sing’oei, the United Nations was covering the costs of the operation.
“It is completely untrue that the current deployment of our police is being underwritten by our exchequer. The actual position is that this deployment is being underwritten by the United Nations,” the PS said.
He stated that the UN released adequate funds to run the exercise.
It remains unclear whether the approved amount is part of the Sh17.6 billion the government has spent in line with Article 223.
Documents tabled in Parliament shows that of this, Sh2.1 billion was allocated for Kenya’s peacekeeping role in Haiti.
The approval of the funds comes as the third batch of 600 officers prepares to leave for Haiti.
The officers, who have already concluded their training, were to leave on November 28 but were rescheduled due to logistical issues.
Large swathes of the Caribbean country and estimated 85 per cent of the capital Port-au-Prince, is under gang control.