One officer killed, two others injured in Kenya’s ongoing Haiti mission, CS Murkomen confirms
While Haitian authorities initially confirmed the death of police officer Benedict Kabiru and are said to be in talks with Haitian gangs to release the body, Kenyan authorities are yet to formally inform his family of his fate.
The government has confirmed that one Kenyan police officer has died while on duty in Haiti, with two others injured and one still unaccounted for.
The officers are part of a 700-member team deployed to the Caribbean nation in a multinational mission aimed at restoring peace.
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Addressing the issue on Tuesday, Interior and National Administration Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen denied claims that many police officers from Kenya had died in Haiti.
“It’s not true that many of our police officers have lost their lives. You cannot hide it because the officers who have gone to Haiti are accountable by number. We know we lost a police officer, unfortunately. We feel very sad about the circumstances under which we lost him,” he said.
The first group of 400 Kenyan officers left for Haiti in 2024, followed by an additional 300. They are working under a UN-backed initiative to control growing gang violence, but the mission has faced challenges.
Speaking during an interview in Mombasa, Murkomen reassured the public that the officers remain safe and accounted for.
His statement comes at a time when the fate of a police officer, Benedict Kuria Kabiru, is still unclear.
While Haitian authorities initially confirmed his death and are said to be in talks with Haitian gangs to release the body, Kenyan authorities are yet to formally inform his family of his fate.
On this, the Interior CS said Kabiru is still missing and that the search to find him is ongoing. He also denied claims that the government is withholding information.
“Even if you want to hide it, it’s impossible because the police officers have families back home, and they communicate. There are over 700 officers; you can't hide anything from them since they talk to their families and the media," Murkomen said.
The CS emphasised the government’s commitment to transparency.
He pointed out that the government always informs the families of affected officers before making any public announcements.
“We have been giving factual information about the mission so that we do not hurt families. When something happens, we make sure that their families have been approached first before making the information public,” the CS said.
Murkomen added that two injured officers are recovering well. He said that despite the recent uptick in gang activities in Haiti, there is ongoing coordination to keep the officers safe.
“Therefore, a lot of strategies and efforts are being expended to make sure our officers are kept safe, even as they work hard to bring law and order in Haiti. Sad as it may be, the work of a police officer is always a dangerous job every day,” he said.
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