Murkomen: Kenya has only lost one officer in Haiti
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen in Mombasa on April 7, 2025, when he kicked off his tour of the Coast region.
Out of 700 Kenyan police officers deployed to Haiti to restore peace, one has died, one has gone missing and two others have been injured, the government has said.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen insisted that police officers deployed to the Caribbean country are safe as they continue with their peace mission against violent gangs.
“It’s not true that many lives of our police officers have been lost. You cannot hide it because the officers who have gone there are accountable by number. We know we lost a police officer, unfortunately. We feel very sad about the circumstances under which we lost him,” said the CS in Mombasa Monday evening.
His statement comes at a time when the fate of a police officer, Mr Benedict Kuria Kabiru, is still unclear. While Haitian authorities had initially confirmed his demise and are said to be in talks with Haitian gangs to release the body, Kenyan authorities are yet to formally inform his family of his fate.
On this, CS Murkomen said he is still missing and that the search to find him is ongoing. He also denied claims that the government is withholding information.
“Even if you want to hide it, it’s impossible because the police officers have families back home and they communicate. There are more than 700 officers (in Haiti)—there's no way you can hide information from them because they communicate directly with their families and even the media,” he said.
He noted that the two injured police officers are recuperating well.
“Therefore, a lot of strategies and efforts are being expended to ensure our officers are kept safe, even as they work hard to bring law and order in Haiti. Sad as it may be, the work of a police officer is always a dangerous job every day,” said the CS.
Kenyan gangs
Separately, the CS sounded a warning to Kenyan gangs, saying the government is on their radar and will eradicate them.
Mr Murkomen also said the Kenya Kwanza government is prioritising the welfare of police officers—both in Kenya and Haiti.
“That is why we try our best to make sure that the best equipment is given to them to protect themselves and ensure they are safe...We hope that our officers shall be safe, be successful in their mission, and come back home safely,” he added.
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