NAIROBI, Kenya — The family of a Kenyan police officer who went missing in Haiti in March has sued the government, demanding answers over his whereabouts and accusing authorities of maintaining an alarming silence.
Benedict Kabiru, 34, was deployed to the Caribbean nation as part of Kenya’s controversial peacekeeping mission aimed at curbing rampant gang violence.
He reportedly disappeared on March 26, 2025, under unclear circumstances.
In a petition filed in the High Court, Kabiru’s mother Jacinta Wanjiku, brother Phillip Kamau, and uncle Daniel Ndung’u are seeking a court order compelling the government to disclose whether Kabiru is alive and what steps—if any—have been taken to locate him.
“We are in pain. We just want to know if he is safe,” Wanjiku said during a press briefing earlier this year. “The silence from the State is unbearable.”
Kabiru, a member of the Border Patrol Unit, had previously served in high-risk postings across Kenya including Mandera, Garissa, Marsabit, Moyale, and Boni Forest.
He joined the Multinational Security Support Mission in Haiti on July 15, 2024, as part of the second contingent deployed under orders from the Kenyan government.
According to the court documents, Kabiru had maintained regular contact with his family and had expressed no concerns about his well-being—until the end of March, when communication abruptly ceased.
Around the same time, unverified online reports circulated suggesting that he had been captured by a gang during an ambush on an armoured vehicle.
When the family sought clarification, they say the Director of Operations at Police Headquarters dismissed the claims as “fake news” but failed to provide any official statement or evidence.
Attempts to get further information have allegedly been met with silence.
Named as respondents in the case are:
- Attorney General Dorcas Oduor
- Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja
- The National Police Service Commission
- Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen
- Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi
The case comes as Kenya’s Haiti mission continues to face scrutiny and delays.
A 261-member contingent remains stranded amid reports of logistical failures, while growing concerns over safety and funding persist.
Meanwhile, Haiti remains in the grip of powerful criminal gangs, with the transitional government struggling to reassert control.
