NAIROBI, Kenya, Sept 25 – The painful search for answers has ended. Benedict Kabiru, the Kenyan officer who went missing in March during the Multinational Security Support Mission (MSSM) in Haiti, is dead. Police confirmed his death on Thursday, September 25, bringing to a close six months of confusion and anguish for his family.
In their statement, the National Police Service (NPS) revealed that Kabiru went missing on March 25, after gangs ambushed a convoy along the Carrefour Paye-Savien route in the Artibonite Department. His vehicle got trapped in a ditch, believed to have been dug deliberately by armed groups.
During the recovery attempt, the officers came under heavy fire. Several escaped with injuries. However, Kabiru was captured by the attackers and taken away.
For months, the NPS kept his family updated as efforts continued to trace him. Sadly, new information confirmed that Kabiru did not survive. “The family has been notified,” the NPS said in their official communication.
Conflicting Reports Sparked Tension
The confirmation comes after days of public confusion. Earlier this week, President William Ruto told the United Nations Security Council that three Kenyan officers had died in Haiti. Yet, during a court session, the Attorney General’s Office claimed it had no official record of Kabiru’s death.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen later supported the President’s statement. Speaking at a Jukwaa la Usalama forum in Garissa, he explained that Kabiru’s death was linked to circumstances that followed the ambush, not the initial gunfire.
Family Seeks Justice
Kabiru’s family had recently petitioned the High Court, demanding clarity on his fate. The official announcement now confirms their worst fears. His death marks him as the third Kenyan officer killed while serving in Haiti.
Kenya’s decision to deploy officers to Haiti has faced criticism at home and abroad. Human rights groups, including Amnesty International, have raised concerns about the safety of officers and the mission’s legality. Meanwhile, families of deployed officers continue to live with constant worry.
