Ruto is sending Kenyan police to Haiti for the money - Former US Envoy Dan Foote

Former U.S. Special Envoy for Haiti Dan Foote has voiced scepticism over Kenya's plan to send 1,000 police officers on a security mission to troubled Haiti, highlighting that the number of troops falls short of what is required to liberate the Caribbean nation from marauding gangs.

In an interview with CNN, Foote pointed out that every time there has been a military intervention in Haiti, at least 20,000 troops have been deployed to Port-au-Prince, adding that none of these missions achieved success.

"A thousand isn't going to cut it and while they have commitments for double or triple that, that's still not going to cut it. Every time there has been a military intervention in Haiti in the past 20 years, it's had a minimum of 20,000 troops or police going in there," Foote said.

Foote further highlighted the Kenyan's public reluctance to support the mission to Haiti.

"You see the reticence on the part of the Kenyan public to send these guys and that makes me nervous," he said.

The former envoy additionally suggested that Kenya's motivation to lead the security mission is largely spurred by financial incentives from the UN Security Council and not genuine peacekeeping efforts.  

"I believe that this is more of a cash grab by President Ruto whose country will receive a lot of money for doing this," he said.

Foote further warned that the well-armed Haitian gangs will fiercely combat Kenyan troops especially if the proposed Caricom government is effected in the Caribbean nation.

"The Haitians are well armed and if the international community imposes this Caricom government contract, they are going to fight the Kenyans to the death," he said. 

Last week Kenya announced that the plan to send police to Haiti under a UN-backed multinational mission had been put on hold.

Speaking to AFP, Principal Secretary for Foreign Affairs Korir Sing'oei decision was made after Haiti's Prime Minister Ariel Henry agreed to step aside as armed gangs have taken over much of the Caribbean nation.

"There has been a fundamental change in circumstances as a result of the complete breakdown of law and order and the subsequent resignation of the PM of Haiti," Korir Sing'oei, principal secretary for foreign affairs, told AFP.

Sing'oei however said that Kenya remained committed to "providing leadership to the MSS," referring to the Multinational Security Support mission that was approved by the UN Security Council in October last year.

President William Ruto however remains firm on the Kenyan government's commitment to embark on the mission to Haiti.