The family of Benedict Kabiru, a Kenyan police officer deployed to Haiti as part of a multinational peacekeeping mission, is actively demanding answers nearly three months after he mysteriously disappeared during a rescue operation in the gang-controlled region of Savien.
Kabiru, 34, disappeared on March, 2025, while he assisted Haitian police whose vehicle had gotten stuck in what appeared to be a gang-dug ditch. During the operation, a gang ambushed his team, and they reported Kabiru missing. Since then, conflicting reports and a persistent lack of official communication have plunged his family into anguish.
Consequently, his mother, Jacinta Wanjiku, his brother, Phillip Kamau, and his uncle, Daniel Ndung’u, have filed a lawsuit against top Kenyan government officials, including the Attorney General and the Inspector General of Police. They demand transparency and accountability, asserting that the government’s silence has caused them “untold pain and suffering.”
Subsequently, a disturbing video surfaced online, allegedly showing Kabiru’s lifeless body, further deepening the family’s distress. Although the Haitian Presidential Transitional Council confirmed his death, Kenyan authorities still have not officially declared him deceased. Meanwhile, the Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission’s spokesperson, Jack Ombaka, dismissed the video as propaganda, citing misinformation and the potential for AI-generated content.
Nevertheless, the family remains unconvinced. “We just want to know the truth, whether he is alive or not,” Kabiru’s uncle stated. Accordingly, the family issued a 30-day ultimatum to the government, threatening further legal action if it fails to provide a clear statement.
Kabiru had previously served in volatile regions like Mandera and Boni Forest before he joined the Haiti mission in July 2024. Since his disappearance, concerns have escalated regarding the safety of Kenyan officers deployed abroad and the government’s responsibility for their well-being.
