Dead or alive? Family of missing officer in anguish as State stays silent

Benedict Kabiru was in the first batch of police officers deployed to Haiti to battle criminal gangs in the Caribbean County.

Next month, his group will be returning. But will Kabiru be among them?

The 34-year-old was in a contingent of 400 officers dispatched on June 25, last year.

But Kabiru has been missing, leaving his family in anguish and raising questions about the government’s response.

Kenya has sent 817 officers to Haiti under the Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission, led by Godfrey Otunge. The second batch of 200 arrived on July 15, last year, and 217 more landed in Port-au-Prince on January 18.

Supported by other nations like Jamaica, Bahamas, Guyana, Barbados, and Antigua and Barbuda, Bangladesh, Benin, and Chad, the UN-backed mission seeks to curb Haiti’s spiraling gang violence, which has displaced thousands and paralyzed the country.

Haiti’s security crisis, fuelled by powerful gangs controlling much of Port-au-Prince, has made the MSS mission both urgent and perilous. Gangs like the Savien, which attacked Kabiru’s team, have exploited Haiti’s political vacuum since the 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moïse. The transitional government, struggling to assert control, relies heavily on international support, making the Kenyan contingent’s role critical but dangerous.

Kabiru vanished on March 26 during a patrol with the Haitian National Police in the Pont-Sonde region. His team’s armored vehicle, immobilised in a ditch, was ambushed by Savien gangs.

Since then, no trace of him has been found, and conflicting reports have deepened his family’s distress.

Haiti’s Presidential Transitional Council declared him dead on March 28, stating, “We deplore the death of the Kenyan soldier in Savien. His sacrifice for Haiti’s future will not be forgotten.”

Yet, Kenyan authorities classify him as missing, citing the absence of his body or confirmation of his fate.

The discrepancy has left Kabiru’s family grappling with uncertainty. Efforts to reach Kenyan officials have been fruitless.

Police Spokesman Muchiri Nyaga was unavailable, and Internal Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo did not respond to inquiries. This silence has fuelled accusations of government neglect, with Kabiru’s brother, Philip Kamau, describing the family’s ordeal as “torturous”.

“Our mother, Jecinta Wanjiru, and Kabiru’s wife, Maria Watima, are overwhelmed, sometimes unable to eat,” Kamau said at a press conference on Saturday.

He spoke of the emotional burden on Kabiru’s 17-year-old daughter, who faces university admission this year.

“She asks, ‘How will we live without my father?’ I have no answers,” he said, his voice heavy with despair.

The family has repeatedly demanded clarity, alleging the government has abandoned them. Two weeks after Kabiru’s disappearance, the National Police Service promised counselling, but Kamau said the pledge was unfulfilled.

“On April 24, the Kikuyu police commander and religious leaders visited for prayers. That was the last we heard from the government,” he said. “They dodge our calls or offer empty promises.”

Inspector General Douglas Kanja last month vowed to find Kabiru, who joined the service in 2015. “We are doing everything possible to bring him back.”

The family has also written to the Attorney General, seeking information. Their lawyer, Mbuthi Gathenji, questioned whether ransom demands or prisoner exchanges are involved, urging transparency.

The MSS mission has faced significant hurdles, including underfunding and equipment shortages. Reports of delayed salaries prompted threats of resignation among Kenyan officers, though Kanja, on December 5, 2024, confirmed payments were current and praised the officers’ impact.

Three weeks after Kabiru’s disappearance, MSS personnel received advanced medical training on casualty stabilisation and evacuation, reflecting the mission’s high-risk environment.

Authorised by the UN Security Council on October 2, 2023, the MSS mission was extended in September 2024. Kenya’s deployment of 1,000 officers, approved in November 2023, faced delays due to a court ruling and the resignation of Haiti’s acting prime minister, Ariel Henry. Despite these challenges, the mission remains a cornerstone of international efforts to stabilise Haiti.

As his colleagues return, Kabiru’s family remains hopeful yet braced for the worst. “We pray he’s among those landing at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, but we’re ready for any news,” said Kamau.