Family seeks answers as Kenyan officer who died while on Haiti mission is buried

The sombre mood engulfed the Keroka area of Nyamira County as family, friends, and colleagues bid farewell to Police Inspector Walter Nyankieya. The officer was found dead in a hotel room in Washington DC, US.

Inspector Nyankieya was found dead at the hotel on February 13. He was en route to Haiti as part of the advance security team dispatched to the Caribbean nation ahead of the deployment of Kenyan troops for the UN-backed mission.

The circumstances surrounding his demise remain shrouded in mystery, prompting his family to demand transparency from the government even as they laid him to rest on Saturday.

"After consulting family and friends, we decided to lay our son to rest, but our lawyer will be moving to court to follow up on the matter. We need to know what happened to our son," Philip Nyamato, the deceased's father, said during an interview with Citizen TV during the burial ceremony.

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The lack of response from authorities regarding Nyankieya's death has only fueled the family's anguish.

"He was a senior police officer. His mysterious death should not go unanswered. We have asked for a provisional report from the government on his death, but they still haven't responded weeks after his passing," he added.

Representatives from the National Police Service, present at the funeral, mourned Nyankieya, saying the death was regretful and unfortunate.

"Walter was an officer who had respect for authority. He was firm and forward in his dealings with his colleagues and juniors," said Administration Police Director of Operations, Geoffrey Otunge.

Meanwhile, the international delegation coordinating the deployment of security officers to Haiti acknowledged Nyankieya's invaluable contribution to the mission.

"The deceased was recently placed as a delegate to the Multinational Security Support mission, where he diligently worked alongside other multi-agency officers. The country, the NPS, and the mission team have indeed suffered a great loss," stated David Kabiru, a representative of the NIS Director General.

The MSS Mission in Haiti is a multinational force approved by United Nations Security Council Resolution 2699 on October 2, 2023, to assist the government of Haiti in restoring law and order.

It will be led by Kenya and will coordinate with the Haitian National Police. Caribbean Community members Jamaica, Bahamas, Guyana, Barbados and Antigua and Barbuda will also take part in the mission in the Caribbean nation, which remains plagued by extreme gang violence