The family of Benedict Kabiru, a Kenyan police officer missing in Haiti for more than six months, is demanding answers after President William Ruto confirmed he died during duty.
Kabiru disappeared in March after a gang ambush during an anti-gang operation. His mother, Jecinta Kabiru, says she feels betrayed by the government for giving false hope that her son would be found alive.
Now, the family wants the remains brought home for a dignified burial and clarity on when exactly he died.
Death of Officer Who Went Missing in Haiti Leaves Family in Pain and Shock
President William Ruto made the revelation during a high-level meeting in New York. He announced that Benedict Kabiru, Samuel Tompoi and Kennedy Nzuve died while serving in Haiti under the Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission.
Kabiru’s mother broke down in tears after hearing the President’s remarks. She said she had clung to hope because senior security officials in Nairobi had assured her that the search was still active.
“Why are they torturing me? They have tortured me all that long, knowing the truth because I know the President cannot say something that has not been confirmed,” Jecinta told Citizen TV.
She added, “I want to urge them to bring the remains of my son so that I can do what is necessary because I can’t believe it until I see his body that he is no more.”
The family has also defended their earlier move to sue the state for failing to disclose details about their kin. They insist the government must explain why information about Kabiru’s death was withheld for months.
The Ambush That Changed Everything
Kabiru disappeared on March 25 after an ambush during an MSS mission in Haiti. The team was carrying out an operation against heavily armed gangs when their vehicle got stuck in a ditch. Officials later suspected the ditch was dug intentionally to trap security forces.
Jack Ombaka, spokesperson for the MSS mission, revealed that gunmen struck when officers tried to recover the vehicle. While others escaped with injuries, Kabiru was seized by the attackers and never seen again.
In the days that followed, Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja said special teams had been deployed to search for Kabiru. Families of the officers were told that every effort was being made to find him. But months of silence followed, fueling frustration and anger.
Family Questions Government Narrative
For the Kabiru family, the revelation by the President has only deepened their grief. They say it is not enough to simply declare Kabiru dead without proof.
“We want to know the date he died. We want to know where it happened. We want to see his body. That is the only way we can accept this reality,” one family member told local journalists.
The case raises questions about Kenya’s handling of its officers deployed to Haiti. Relatives of the dead officers accuse the government of secrecy, poor communication, and neglecting the families left behind.
Analysts argue the situation exposes a lack of preparedness for Kenya’s controversial mission in Haiti. Sending officers into a volatile environment dominated by armed gangs has already drawn criticism back home.
For Jecinta, however, the matter is not political but personal. She wants the government to return her son’s remains so she can lay him to rest. Until then, she says, she will not accept that he is gone.
