Kenyan police officers participating in the United Nations-backed mission in Haiti are earning up to Ksh279,955 per month, including allowances, making their peacekeeping roles financially lucrative.
Each officer is paid a base salary of Ksh182,242 monthly by the international agency, with additional allowances significantly increasing their total earnings.
During his vetting by the Appointments Committee on Thursday, August 1, President William Ruto’s nominee for the Ministry of Interior and Coordination of National Government, Prof. Kithure Kindiki, confirmed that the officers deployed to Haiti are fully paid and insured by the United Nations. “Our officers are covered, insured, and paid for by the United Nations, and therefore there is no cause for alarm,” Kindiki reassured.
The officers receive a base salary of $1,410 per month, equivalent to approximately Ksh182,242 at the current exchange rate. This pay structure was approved by the UN General Assembly in June 2014, with periodic increments.
Additionally, officers are entitled to a Mission Subsistence Allowance (MSA) of $756, adding approximately Ksh97,713 to their monthly earnings.
The Kenyan-led mission, authorized by the United Nations Security Council in October 2023, includes 400 officers as part of a larger contingent of 1,000 Kenyan police. The mission, known as the Multinational Security Support (MSS), is supported by the United States and aims to restore stability in the violence-stricken Caribbean nation.
The UN’s reimbursement framework for peacekeeping missions outlines the compensation structure for contributing countries. According to the UN General Assembly’s resolution 68/281, the base rate for peacekeepers was set at $1,332 per person per month from July 2014, increasing to $1,365 in 2016 and $1,410 from July 2017.
