Kenya Insights

Tag: Korir Sing’Oei

  • Kenya Starts Pullout From Haiti as MSS Mission Ends

    Kenya Starts Pullout From Haiti as MSS Mission Ends

    Kenya has started drawing down its police deployment in Haiti as the mandate of the Kenya-led Multinational Security Support mission comes to an end, marking a transition to a new, more robust international force tasked with confronting the country’s powerful criminal gangs.

    The deadline for the deployment of Kenyan officers under the newly constituted Gang Suppression Force falls today, Saturday, February 7, signalling the formal close of the MSS mission that Nairobi spearheaded amid widespread scepticism over its feasibility and risks.

    Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Korir Sing’oei said Kenya was exiting the mission having achieved what many doubted was possible when the first contingent of officers landed in Port-au-Prince.

    “We have done our job, which was to bring peace and a form of stability,” Sing’oei said. “We are in a good place to begin to draw down our deployment at this point in time.”

    He said the mission had faced doubts from the outset, with critics questioning whether Kenya was overstretching itself and whether the risks outweighed the benefits. More than a year later, he argued, the results demonstrated the impact of the Kenyan deployment.

    “There was pessimism when we deployed. A year plus later, it is clear that the Kenyan deployment has made a huge difference,” Sing’oei said.

    The MSS mission was primarily designed to stabilise key areas and build the capacity of the Haitian National Police rather than pursue gangs directly. Sing’oei acknowledged that the narrow mandate and chronic under-financing limited its operational reach, even as it restored a degree of order around critical infrastructure.

    “Our mandate did not include the pursuit of the gangs themselves and that affected the overall ability,” he said, adding that Kenya had pushed at the United Nations for an expanded framework to allow more decisive action.

    Those efforts culminated in the approval of the Gang Suppression Force in late 2025. The new force is a 5,550-strong multinational unit supported by the UN and guided by a Standing Group of Partners that includes the United States, Canada, Kenya, The Bahamas, Jamaica, Guatemala and El Salvador.

    Unlike the MSS, which was structured largely as a policing and stabilisation operation, the GSF blends policing, counter-insurgency and maritime enforcement capabilities, with a mandate to dismantle gang strongholds, disrupt weapons trafficking and create space for a political process.

    The transition is already visible on the ground. United States soldiers have arrived in Haiti in recent days, while American warships have taken positions off the Haitian coast to block arms smuggling routes that have fuelled gang expansion.

    Godfrey Otunge, the MSS commander, said the handover to the new force was ongoing, with officers from various countries still arriving to join Kenyan and Haitian personnel.

    “The process of transforming the MSS mission to the GSF mission is ongoing,” Otunge said.

    Washington has publicly praised Kenya’s role, describing it as decisive at a moment when Haiti’s institutions were close to collapse. US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau, who recently visited Kenya to meet returning officers, said Nairobi’s intervention prevented the country from falling entirely under gang control.

    “The government of Haiti would not have survived the onslaught of these gangs without your presence,” Landau told Kenyan officers, calling Kenya an indispensable partner.

    Even as the security architecture is reconfigured, Haiti’s political transition remains fragile. The United States has said it will continue working with Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aime despite growing opposition from the Presidential Transitional Council, whose mandate also expires today.

    The CPT, created under an April 2024 political accord after the resignation of former Prime Minister Ariel Henry, has been racing to install a successor leadership as its term lapses. Internal divisions have deepened, with some members proposing a new executive authority while others insist the council’s time is over.

    Political actors and civil society groups have meanwhile launched a nomination process for the presidency and prime minister’s office in a bid to forge consensus leadership and pave the way for elections, even as some factions boycott the talks.

    For ordinary Haitians, the withdrawal of Kenyan officers and the arrival of a new international force brings both hope and uncertainty. Diplomats warn that security gains will remain fragile without a credible political settlement and functioning state institutions.

    As Kenya begins to bring its officers home, the coming weeks will test whether Haiti can align a reinforced security presence with a legitimate transitional leadership, a balance many observers say will determine whether the country stabilises or slides back into renewed chaos.

  • Caught Red-Handed: Foreign Affairs PS Sing’oei Deletes Fake CNN Video After Kenyans Expose AI Deepfake

    Caught Red-Handed: Foreign Affairs PS Sing’oei Deletes Fake CNN Video After Kenyans Expose AI Deepfake

    Principal Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Korir Sing’oei, has found himself in an awkward position after being compelled to remove a video he had shared to bolster the credibility of the Foreign Affairs Ministry.

    The ministry has been under intense scrutiny due to a series of diplomatic missteps, including the failed African Union Commission bid—where Kenya’s candidate, Raila Odinga, was decisively defeated by Djibouti’s nominee—and a recent diplomatic spat with Sudan.

    In the now-deleted video, Sing’oei captioned it: “For the fake analysts who doubt the good faith of Kenya’s peace diplomacy, here is a cogent assessment by CNN’s Foreign Policy expert, Fareed Zakaria.”

    The post appeared to be an attempt to restore confidence in the ministry’s reputation. The video, purportedly featuring analysis from CNN’s Fareed Zakaria, claimed that Kenya has been a stabilizing force in East Africa for decades—brokering peace, managing crises, and preventing regional chaos.

    Screenshots of the now deleted post.

    It further posed the question: Why would Kenya remain on the sidelines while world superpowers fail to lead as the region burns? However, netizens quickly debunked the video as an AI-generated deepfake, designed to lend authenticity by falsely attributing it to CNN and Zakaria, a respected journalist.

    What the Fake Video Claimed

    The manipulated video asserted that Kenya is uniquely positioned in East Africa to mediate conflicts. “In East Africa, Kenya is the only player able to bring both sides to the table, and Nairobi has been the center of brokering talks,” it stated. It went on to argue that Kenya’s response to Sudan’s actions was not reckless but a strategic move driven by national interests.

    “This is not analysis; it is selective outrage,” the video claimed. “Kenya is not just acting out of goodwill; it is acting in its own strategic interest. Sudan’s war is destabilizing trade routes, fueling arms smuggling, and driving refugees into neighboring states. If Kenya doesn’t take the lead, who will?” The fake video concluded by reframing the question: not why Kenya is acting, but why others are not.

    Public Backlash

    Kenyans on X swiftly called out PS Sing’oei for sharing manipulated content, criticizing his judgment given his senior government position. X user Mohamed Onyango remarked, “I had to double-check to make sure this wasn’t a parody account. It’s both disturbing and embarrassing to see the Principal Secretary of Foreign Affairs sharing a deepfake on X. This is what happens when key diplomatic positions are handed out based on tribal loyalty rather than merit and expertise. A nation’s foreign policy deserves better than reckless misinformation.”

    “Wow! Calling analysts ‘fake’ while using a deepfake AI video is a new low. @CNN and @FareedZakaria, your attention is needed here,” added X user Antony Alexandria Irungu.

    “Like his fake accent, this is the most unqualified, incompetent Foreign Affairs PS Kenya has ever had. He should stick to human rights and international law. He has limited exposure to global power affairs,” Sitati Wasilwa commented.

    “Unqualified, lazy ‘diplomats’ with zero knowledge of what it takes to be in those positions. Anything that flows with their narrative, they flow with it. What a shame!” wrote Boniface Mose.

    Other users expressed concern about the potential damage to Kenya’s international reputation. “Is it conceivable that a whole PS @ForeignOfficeKE could knowingly post an AI-generated video of an internationally renowned journalist? Did you not consider the international embarrassment once @LarryMadowo picks up on this story?” asked Arap Muk.

    Veteran investigative journalist John Allan Namu quipped, “These jokes write themselves,” underscoring the irony of the situation. Some demanded Sing’oei’s resignation, labeling the incident an embarrassment. Fareed Zakaria has not yet publicly commented on the video.

    Context of Criticism

    Kenya’s role in Sudan’s peace process has been under scrutiny, with critics questioning its neutrality. The incident comes just a day after Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi issued a statement on February 19, 2025, clarifying Kenya’s involvement in the Sudan peace talks. Mudavadi highlighted Kenya’s history of conflict mediation and reaffirmed the country’s commitment to providing a non-partisan platform.

    “Kenya has a long history of providing platforms for peace negotiations without taking sides,” Mudavadi said. “We strongly believe the crisis in Sudan can only be resolved through dialogue, not military force.”

    Kenya also reiterated its alignment with the African Union Charter on Unconstitutional Changes of Government, supporting the AU’s October 2021 decision to suspend Sudan from its activities. Mudavadi noted that Sudanese groups have previously sought solutions through regional partners, citing a January 2024 meeting in a neighboring country where stakeholders discussed a return to civilian rule.

    He added that the recent tabling of a roadmap by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and Sudanese civilian groups in Nairobi aligns with Kenya’s role in facilitating dialogue. “We continue to offer a non-partisan space for conflicting parties to find common ground,” Mudavadi emphasized. “Kenya stands in solidarity with the Sudanese people as they determine their future governance through inclusive discussions.”

  • State To Update On A ‘New Development’ On Kenyan Facing Execution In Saudi

    State To Update On A ‘New Development’ On Kenyan Facing Execution In Saudi

    The government has said it is actively pursuing the matter involving Stephen Munyakho, who is facing execution in Saudi Arabia for the murder of a Yemeni man in 2011.

    This, as the family continues to appeal for support to raise Sh150 million required for Munyakho’s blood money, known as “Diyah” under Islamic law, is necessary to secure a pardon from the victim’s family.

    As of July last year, the family had managed to raise just Sh11 million.

    Speaking during an interview with Citizen TV, Munyakho’s mother, Dorothy Kweyu, a veteran journalist, said his son is remorseful and continues to plead for forgiveness.

    He has been in jail for the last 13 years.

    “Stevo has asked for forgiveness, and he is still asking for it for the death of his friend and workmate. Stevo needs assistance, and we are requesting anything small that you may have so that we can bring him back home,” she said.

    However, in a brief post in response, Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Korir Sing’oei acknowledged the situation, saying they will soon provide an update regarding the matter.

    “I am pleased to inform you that we shall provide a progress report to the public on this matter in the next few days,” he wrote.

    He was scheduled to be executed on November 26, 2024, but this was postponed following consultations with Saudi authorities.

    Munyakho, 50, was a warehouse manager.

    He is said to have engaged in a fight with the colleague Abdul Halim Mujahid Makrad Saleh- at his office on April 9, 2011. Saleh, who was stabbed in the left thigh and thumb, walked himself to a hospital where he later died.

    A Saudi Arabia court convicted Munyakho of manslaughter in October 2011, a sentence that was overturned by a Shariah court, which enhanced it to murder in June 2014.

    Since then, Munyakho has been a state guest in various Saudi prisons.

    According to Sharia law, Munyakho is a candidate for being led to a butchering field for beheading by the sword.

    The execution was delayed because one of the victim’s sons was a minor and had to attain the age of majority to give consent as per the Shariah law.

    The execution date was initially set for May 13, but after a reported diplomatic engagements by government officials, it was postponed.

    After negotiations, in 2019, the Yemeni family agreed to blood money amounting to 10 million riyals, equivalent to Sh352.2 million.

    Further negotiations reduced the amount to 3.5 million riyals last November, equivalent to Sh123 million at the current exchange rate.

    Information given to the family indicates that the family scoffed at the SAR231,685 (equivalent to Sh8 million) that was put on the renegotiation table.

  • Kenya Investigating How Uganda Opposition Figure Besigye Was ‘Abducted’

    Kenya Investigating How Uganda Opposition Figure Besigye Was ‘Abducted’

    Kenya’s government has said it was investigating how a prominent Ugandan opposition leader was spirited out of Nairobi this week, amid growing criticism that it had failed to protect foreign dissidents on its soil.

    Kizza Besigye, a longtime rival of Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, disappeared in the Kenyan capital on Saturday. He reappeared on Wednesday at a military court in neighbouring Uganda, where he was charged with offences including the illegal possession of firearms.

    Uganda’s government spokesperson said on Wednesday it did not carry out abductions and that arrests abroad were done in collaboration with host countries.

    However in a television interview on Wednesday evening, Korir Sing’oei, principal secretary at Kenya’s foreign ministry, said Besigye’s detention – which he referred to as an abduction – was “not the act of the Kenyan government”.

    Sing’oei said the Kenyan interior ministry had begun an investigation into how Besigye had been “forcefully removed from premises in our country and taken to Uganda”.

    The Ugandan court’s charge sheet alleges that Besigye was found with a pistol and eight rounds of ammunition in the Riverside neighbourhood of Nairobi, where it claimed he had been seeking support to prejudice the security of Uganda’s military.

    Besigye’s wife Winnie Byanyima, who heads the United Nations HIV/AIDS agency UNAIDS, said he has not owned a gun in the last 20 years.

    “As a civilian, Dr Besigye should be tried in a civilian court NOT a military court,” she wrote on the social media platform X.

    His detention and transfer to Uganda has fuelled criticism of Kenya’s record on human rights and international law.

    In July, Kenyan authorities deported 36 members of Besigye’s political party to Uganda, where they were charged with terrorism-related offences.
    Last month, Kenya deported four Turkish refugees to Ankara, drawing criticism from the United Nations.

    James Risch, the ranking member on the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said on X that Besigye’s abduction “raises serious questions about important U.S. partners violating (international) norms”.

    Besigye, who was Museveni’s physician during the guerrilla war of the 1980s but later became an outspoken critic, had travelled to Kenya to attend a book launch, said Byanyima, who is UNAIDS’ executive director.

    His transfer to Uganda was “reminiscent of a terrible period in East Africa’s history when state-sponsored kidnappings and cross-border renditions were the order of the day,” the International Commission of Jurists said in a statement.

    Besigye has lost to Museveni in four elections, although he has rejected the results as fraudulent.

  • President Ruto Now Lauds Ford Foundation’s Commitment to Safeguarding Democracy in Kenya After Meeting Its President In New York

    President Ruto Now Lauds Ford Foundation’s Commitment to Safeguarding Democracy in Kenya After Meeting Its President In New York

    President William Ruto on Monday held high-level talks with the President of the Ford Foundation Darren Walker in New York, two months after the Kenyan government accused the organization of sponsoring youth -led anti-government protests.

    The protests, which began on June 18 with calls for the rejection of the Finance Bill 2024 later morphed into calls for the resignation of President Ruto.

    Ruto blamed the protests, which was largely youth-led to interference from foreign forces.

    However, following Ruto’s meeting the Foundation’s, he appeared to change tune praising the organization for pushing for democratic governance and supporting Kenya’s initiatives for global economic reforms and climate action.

    “Kenya appreciates the Ford Foundation’s commitment to safeguarding our democracy and supporting Kenya’s calls for reforms in the global economic institutions, climate action and modern technology regulation,” Ruto said following the meeting.

    President Ruto had on July 15 trained his guns on the Ford Foundation claiming it is the financier of the protests spreading anarchy.

    The decades old organization which opened its offices in the country in 1963, against the backdrop of independence in the East African region have for years supported courageous leaders on the frontlines of social change in the country.

    During his tour in Nakuru, the President scoffed at the organisation for sponsoring the Generation Z demonstration where protestors gained entry to key government institutions including Parliament.

    “Those behind sponsoring the chaos in the republic of Kenya I want to tell them shame on them! Because they are sponsoring violence against our democratic nation. I want to ask the Ford Foundation to tell us they are sponsoring violence for what benefit?” the President stated.

    “We are going to call them out and tell them if they are going to sponsor violence and anarchy.We are going to tell them to either style up or leave.”

    He claimed that the unnamed foreign individuals were responsible for sponsoring chaos witnessed during the Protests to destabilize his government.

    However, on July 20, the Ford Foundation insisted on a transparent grant framework following Kenya’s demand for disclosures on Sh946 million extended to Kenyan grantees in just a year.

    The foundation, in a statement, asserted that its grant-making process is “transparent and readily available.”

    “As a charitable foundation with a global presence, our grantmaking is transparent and readily available on our website, www.fordfoundation.org,” the organization said.

    “This includes a database showing where our funds go, as well as highlights from our rich history in East Africa and around the world.”

    The response followed a formal inquiry from Kenya to the Ford Foundation listing 16 rights groups that benefited from over Sh900 million funding allegedly linked to chaos during the recent protests.

    In the letter, the Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Korir Sing’Oei had demanded answers to the unexplained manner in which the organisations spent allocations.

    Sing’Oei had alleged that most of the Grantees have been at the centre of the recent protests and subsequent anarchic mobilizations that have sought to disturb the country’s peace.

    However, the organization said it does not support violence.

    Further, the organization said that while it acknowledges the right of Kenyans to peacefully advocate for a just and equitable country, it does not support any actions or speech that are hateful or advocate violence against any institution, individual, or community.

    The philanthropic organization headquartered in the United States expressed its commitment to building on its more than 60 years legacy in the region to enable Kenyans unlock opportunities that are beneficial to everyone.