A Kenyan police officer, serving in Haiti as part of an international security team, has vanished after being assaulted by suspected gang members. According to the mission’s statement, the incident unfolded when the team was aiding a vehicle from the Haiti national police that had gotten stuck. During the operation, gang members lying in ambush initiated an attack, and since then, specialized teams have been searching for the missing officer.

The incident took place during a patrol operation in Pont-Sondé, a town within Haiti, as reported by the Multinational Security Support (MSS) Mission to Haiti. Local media has speculated that the officer may have been killed by the gang, though this information remains unverified. Kenya’s National Police Service has confirmed their awareness of the situation involving the missing officer.

Despite calls from Kenyans for their police forces to return home, the Kenya National Police Service highlighted their commitment to their mission in Haiti. This incident continues a pattern of violence against Kenyan officers serving in Haiti. In a separate incident last month, a 26-year-old police constable died during an operation in Ségur-Savien, marking the first fatality among Kenyan personnel in the mission. The body of the officer, Samuel Tompoi Kaetuai, was returned home for burial.

Kenya has contributed around 800 police officers to the MSS mission in Haiti since its deployment in June of the previous year. The mission goals include assisting in curbing gang violence, a significant issue in Haiti, where gang control extends to nearly the entirety of the capital, Port-au-Prince, and various rural areas. In 2024 alone, gang-related violence in Haiti has led to over 5,500 deaths and displaced more than a million people from their homes.

Source: http://www.africanews.com/2025/03/26/a-kenyan-police-officer-has-gone-missing-in-haiti-after-gang-assault-incident/