Haiti: Family of dead officer still in the dark

Late police officer Benedict Kabiru. [Courtesy] Over a month after President William Ruto declared police officer Benedict Kabiru dead, little has been heard on efforts to locate and bring his body home. Kabiru was in the Kenyan contingent battling criminal gangs in Haiti. He went missing on March 25, 2025 after armed gangs attacked a police convoy on the Carrefour Paye-Savien supply route in Artibonite region. Initially, the officer had been classified as missing, but the President's bombshell while attending a summit in New York confirmed that he had died. "I must use this occasion to honor the Kenyan officers Mr. Samuel Tuoi, Benedict Kabiru, and Kennedy Nzuve, who lost their lives in the line of duty," Ruto said on September 24, during the United Nations General Assembly. Soon the National Police Service (NPS), which for close to six months had insisted the officer was alive, issued a statement echoing the President's position. "The officer had been reported missing while on duty following an ambush. 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," said police spokesman Muchiri Nyaga in a statement. And with the government finally confirming Kabiru's death, his family looked forward to receiving the body for burial. At the time, Kabiru's mother Jacinta Wanjiku said they had clung to government's assurances since March that her son was missing in action and efforts were underway to trace him. "The President's confession has shattered us. Why do I have to learn of my son's death through social media?" she asked. Nearly two months later, there are no hopes of Kabiru being buried soon. Relatives remain in dark about when the body will be brought home for burial. According to Kabiru's aunt, Hannah Wambui, when the government admitted that officer was dead, the family expected to be given the remains for burial. "After the announcement was made, we went to Jogoo House to seek clarity when the body will be brought. Although devastated, we were relieved that the matter was finally coming to closure but the wait is traumatising," Wambui told The Standard yesterday. Despite several inquiries, Wambui says it has been a back-and-forth exercise, leaving the family more confused. "The last time we were at Jogoo House, the officers told us they are still investigating the matter and will get back to us but we haven't heard from them," said Wambui. Last Wednesday, two officers were dispatched to the family's Thamande home in Kikuyu, Kiambu County, for a counselling session. However, the officers remained guarded about the whereabouts of Kabiru's body. "They just told us they had been sent to counsel us. But us a family, we're anxious, we want to see the body. That's what is bothering us," said Wambui. The family has been left in the dark despite the police spokesman promising that they will receive updates as the situation develops. When reached, Muchiri said an officer was specifically assigned to deal with the matter. "I will not respond to that since there is a colleague from office of the Deputy Inspector General in charge of Administration Police who was tasked to get in touch with the family," he said.

Haiti: Family of dead officer still in the dark

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