The National Police Service (NPS) on Wednesday officially communicated the death of Benedict Kabiru, a Kenyan officer who was killed in Haiti earlier this year.
Kabiru’s death was initially reported in March following a gang ambush in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. At the time, police dismissed claims of his death, stating that he was only missing.
On Wednesday, senior NPS officials visited Kabiru’s family in Kiambu County to formally confirm that he had died in March, although his body has yet to be recovered. Daniel Kabiru, the officer’s uncle and family spokesman, said eight senior officers visited their home around 8 p.m. to deliver the news. The visit followed a court session in which the family had petitioned for clarity from the state regarding Kabiru’s status.
During the court proceedings, the Attorney General’s office stated that it had not been informed of Kabiru’s death, contradicting remarks made by President William Ruto at a United Nations meeting. On September 22, Ruto had publicly acknowledged the loss of Kabiru and two other officers under the Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission, saying:
“I must use this occasion to honour the Kenyan officers, Samuel Kitwai, Benedict Kabiru and Kennedy Nzuve who lost their lives in the line of duty.”
The family argued in court that information about Kabiru’s death had been withheld by police officers from the Attorney General’s office. Following the NPS visit, officials confirmed that the President’s statement was accurate.
“It means that all along the police had not told us the truth,” Kabiru’s uncle told Citizen Digital.
