Kenya Enlists Evangelical Pastors for Haiti Peace Mission

Emmanuel EjioforJune 5, 20241 Mins read235

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William Ruto

Kenya’s President, William Ruto, has enlisted pastors to guide the country’s police deployment to Haiti to address gang violence and instability.

Ruto consulted with various advisers and officials, including Christian evangelical pastors close to him and his wife, Rachel Ruto. The pastors have been involved in discussions with Haitian communities and leaders to ensure a smooth mission.

“We believe that we are a tool that God will use to help,” Serge Musasilwa, a Kenyan evangelical pastor with experience in conflict resolution across Africa, told Reuters.

The pastors’ involvement aims to avoid mistakes from previous foreign interventions in Haiti, which had sometimes resulted in human rights abuses and health crises.

Furthermore, the president of the Baptist Haiti Mission, Daniel Jean-Louis, told Reuters that, “The more you’re connected to the population, the more you can format the kind of intervention you’re going to lead.”

Meanwhile, Rachel Ruto has actively promoted a “spiritual solution” for Haiti.

“We cannot allow our police to go to Haiti without prayer,” she said in a March meeting with evangelical pastors, as recorded by The Star newspaper in Kenya.

The mission reflects the Ruto administration’s strong emphasis on faith. Pete Inman, an American businessman and evangelist close to the Kenyan president’s family, told Reuters that the mission to Haiti is an expression of faith and a strategic move to strengthen ties with the United States, the mission’s leading financier.

In preparation for the mission, the pastors have met with Haitian diaspora members, U.S. government officials, and even Haitian gang leaders like Jimmy “Barbecue” Cherizier. Musasilwa expressed hope that the conflict could be resolved peacefully.

The pastors believe that Haiti’s issues are primarily spiritual. In March, the pastors launched a global prayer campaign and created a 134-page, 40-day prayer guide focusing on various aspects, including the influence of Vodou in Haiti.

As the mission’s start date approaches, the Kenyan government relies on these pastors’ guidance and prayers to navigate the complex political and security situation in Haiti.