Jecinta Wanjiku Kabiru, mother of policeman Benedict Kabiru.
The family of Benedict Kabiru, the Kenyan policeman Haitian officials said he was killed by gangs, believes he's still alive and is clinging to hope of his safe return, raising questions about coordination of sensitive information between Haiti, Kenya and the families of officers back home.
Speaking from their home in Thamanda, Kikuyu, Kiambu County, his mother Jecinta Wanjiku Kabiru also pleaded with the government for more information on his whereabouts. She says as far as she's concerned, there's hope of his return.
Haiti’s Presidential Transitional Council said Thursday that Kabiru was fatally shot on March 24, 2025, during an anti-gang operation in Savien, Pont-Sondé, northwest of Porto-Au-Prince.
Kabiru, a member of the Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission, was initially marked as missing after Kenyan troops in a joint operation with Haitian police came under attack from gangs.
Haiti’s interim president, Fritz Alphonse Jean, honoured Kabiru as a courageous officer who gave his life in the struggle for a more secure future for Haiti.
“The Presidential Transitional Council extends its deepest condolences to the government and people of Kenya, as well as to the family of Benedict Kabiru, who lost his life on March 24, 2025, while serving in Savien,” the statement read.
Reports first surfaced online Tuesday, March 25, after Haitian media outlets detailed a violent clash between peacekeepers and armed gangs.
'He was my only hope'
Kabiru's mother, however, says she was informed of her son’s disappearance by an Administration Police (AP) sub-commander based in Kikuyu on Wednesday morning. But curiously, by the time this report was published on Thursday afternoon, she had yet to receive any further updates.
“Reports on social media claim my son was killed, but I want the government to return him to me the way he left. I am a single mother, he was my only hope,” she said, overwhelmed with emotion.
She added that their last conversation was two days before he went missing. During the call, Kabiru informed her that he had been moved from the city and deployed to a rice field. Despite the challenges, he remained optimistic, telling her he had only four months left to complete his mission and return to the country.
The family has urged the public to refrain from spreading unverified reports, saying that disturbing images shared online have already caused them immense distress.
Kabiru is married and a father. His wife was unable to speak to the media at the time of this report.
The special forces were attacked by gang members when they were helping a vehicle from the Haitian national police that got stuck in a ditch, suspected to have been dug by gangs, the statement added.
The first casualty was Samuel Tompoi Kaetuai, who was shot dead by a suspected gang member on February 23. He was laid to rest at his Kajiado home on March 19.
The first contingent of Kenyan officers arrived in Haiti in June 2024. They are drawn from the General Service Unit (GSU), Anti-Stock Theft Unit (ASTU), Rapid Deployment Unit (RDU) and all the Female Special Weapon and Tactics Team (SWATT).
Apart from Kenya, other countries that have sent their officers Haiti include Jamaica, Belize, the Bahamas, Guatemala and El Salvador.
hkimuyu@ke.nationmedia.com
