'We will not abandon Haiti in the hour of need,' President Ruto insists

In a statement issued on Thursday, President Ruto said he had held a phone conversation with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, where he conveyed "our unwavering commitment to supporting Haiti."

"Additionally, I engaged with the Prime Minister of The Bahamas Philip Davis, representing the Caribbean Community and Common Market as well as Haiti’s outgoing Prime Minister Ariel Henry."

"During our discussions, I conveyed our unwavering commitment to supporting Haiti, emphasising that they are our brothers and sisters. I assured them that we will remain actively involved and we will not abandon Haiti in their time of need," said Ruto.

Central to President Ruto's plan is the deployment of a reconnaissance mission to Haiti once a viable administration is in place.

"I further outlined our plan to deploy a reconnaissance mission as soon as a viable administration is in place, ensuring that our security personnel are adequately prepared and informed to respond effectively to the evolving situation," he added.

Earlier this week, Kenya announced that the plan to send police to violence-wracked 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.

Kenya had said it was ready to deploy up to 1,000 personnel to Haiti, but the plans have faced legal challenges.