![[DETAILS] Ruto Holds An Extensive Phone Call With US State Secretary Marco Rubio](https://africasnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Kenya-2025-02-07T001209.134.jpg)
[DETAILS] Ruto Holds An Extensive Phone Call With US State Secretary Marco Rubio
Kenya and the United States have reiterated their mutual commitment to strengthening bilateral ties and existing cooperation amidst the Donald Trump administration’s broad foreign policy reforms.
President William Ruto made the announcement on Thursday, following a phone discussion with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
“We reviewed bilateral relations between Kenya and the US and reaffirmed our mutual commitment to strengthening our existing cooperation,” Ruto said in a social media post.
“Our discussion confirmed that the United States has specifically exempted its support for the Multinational Security Support (MSS) Mission in Haiti from the broader pause on federal assistance, recognising the critical need to sustain momentum for the mission and its role in stabilising Haiti and restoring order,” the President added.
I had a telephone conversation with United States Secretary of State @SecRubio. We reviewed bilateral relations between Kenya and the US and reaffirmed our mutual commitment to strengthening our existing cooperation.
— William Samoei Ruto, PhD (@WilliamsRuto) February 6, 2025
Our discussion confirmed that the United States has…
According to reports on Wednesday, the US government has ordered an immediate suspension of its financial commitment to the MMS for Haiti.
This comes after President Donald Trump’s recent executive order freezing US humanitarian aid for 90 days to reassess spending.
According to sources, the United Nations verified receiving an official notification from the Trump administration to freeze its pledged contribution of US$13.3 million, which was part of the initial $15 million allocated to the mission’s trust fund.
Rubio’s confirmation of the Haiti mission’s exemption from the aid freeze came on the same day Kenya sent a new batch of 144 police personnel to Haiti.
The new soldiers will reinforce efforts by an earlier group of 600 officers deployed to combat gang violence in Haiti.
.@SecRubio spoke with President Ruto to underscore the value of the U.S.-Kenya relationship and to reiterate the importance of Kenya's role in regional peace and security. Read more: https://t.co/8SmSTKT4er
— U.S. Embassy Nairobi (@USEmbassyKenya) January 28, 2025
Interior CS Kipchumba Murkomen, who saw off the officers Thursday morning, stated that the forces are made up of 120 men and 24 female officers.
He stated that other countries, including Guatemala and El Salvador, had in recent weeks deployed additional officers.
El Salvador Troops Arrive in Haiti to Join MSS Mission pic.twitter.com/023N2oMtnw
— Multinational Security Support Mission to Haiti (@MSSMHaiti) February 5, 2025
Complaint Reporting Mechanism (CRM) for MSS Officially Launched
— Multinational Security Support Mission to Haiti (@MSSMHaiti) February 6, 2025
“I promise the people of Haiti and the international community the highest level of transparency and a firm commitment to upholding international human rights standards. I also reaffirm my dedication to fully… pic.twitter.com/90lMRQs6Gi
“Together with Jamaican and Belizean troops and supported by Haitian police, we’re making concerted efforts to establish order,” Murkomen said on X.
He noted that Kenya is in frequent contact with the UN and countries that assist the effort, particularly the United States, whose equipment and finances have been crucial and consistent.
Ruto stated that during his phone chat with Rubio, they addressed regional peace and security in Africa, including the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
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He stated that the discussions focused on the next joint conference of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the East African Community (EAC), which is set for Friday and Saturday in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
Presidents Samia Suluhu (Tanzania), Felix Tshisekedi (DRC), Paul Kagame (Rwanda), Cyril Ramaphosa (South Africa), Yoweri Museveni (Uganda), and Hassan Mohamud of Somalia have confirmed their attendance at the extraordinary summit.
Ruto held the conference in his capacity as EAC chairperson in response to increasing hostilities in the DRC’s eastern region of North Kivu.
It is the location where M3 rebels have besieged the lakeside city of Goma, displacing thousands of people.
[DETAILS] Ruto Holds An Extensive Phone Call With US State Secretary Marco Rubio
