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.
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.
“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.
'We will dismantle you all': CS Murkomen to all gangs in the country
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.
