The National Police Service (NPS) has confirmed the death of Kenyan officer Benedict Kabiru, six months after he went missing while on duty in Haiti. The announcement came on Thursday, September 25, bringing closure to months of uncertainty surrounding his fate.
Kabiru disappeared on March 25 following an ambush on the Carrefour Paye-Savien main supply route in the Pont-Sonde area of the Artibonite Department. According to the NPS, Kabiru was traveling with colleagues in an armed vehicle that got stuck in a ditch suspected to have been deliberately set by gangs. During the recovery of the vehicle, the group was attacked, and while his colleagues managed to escape with injuries, Kabiru was taken by the assailants.
“In a tragic turn of events, the National Police Service received information regarding the death of the missing police officer, and the family has been notified,” the NPS said in a statement. The police added that they maintained constant communication with Kabiru’s family during the six months he was missing, seeking to determine his whereabouts.
The confirmation of Kabiru’s death follows contradictory statements earlier this week. President William Ruto, speaking at a United Nations Council meeting, mentioned Kabiru as one of three officers who died while on the Haiti mission. However, the Attorney General’s office stated in court that they had not received official information confirming the officer’s death. Murkomen, speaking during a Jukwaa la Usalama meeting in Garissa Town, clarified that Kabiru lost his life in circumstances not directly related to the initial shooting.
The announcement comes just after Kabiru’s family filed a court petition seeking clarity from the government regarding his fate. The NPS statement ends months of speculation, offering confirmation and closure to a grieving family and colleagues.
Benedict Kabiru’s death highlights the risks faced by Kenyan officers serving abroad and underscores the importance of timely information in situations involving personnel deployed on international missions.
