As the Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission in Haiti faces escalating gang violence and mounting casualties, Kenyan police officers on the ground are increasingly turning to international media to voice their concerns, citing inadequate equipment and a lack of transparency from the government at home.
Three Kenyan officers, speaking to Reuters on condition of anonymity due to fear of reprisal, revealed that two of their colleagues were seriously injured in recent clashes with heavily armed gangs in and around Port-au-Prince.
This adds to the mission’s growing list of casualties, which includes a fatality in February and another officer believed dead after going missing last week.
“As in any mission, casualties are sometimes unavoidable,” MSS spokesperson Jack Ombaka told Reuters, confirming the evacuation of two injured officers to the Dominican Republic for medical care.
However, the three officers on the ground painted a grim picture of increasingly frequent attacks and insufficient protective gear.
They reported that one officer was shot in the head after a bullet pierced his helmet, and another was injured when a gunshot penetrated an armored vehicle.
Furthermore, they claimed that 20 armored vehicles have been grounded since the weekend, as officers refuse to use them due to their failure to withstand gunfire.
“MSS continues to receive increased logistical support from partners and stakeholders, with assurances that all equipment meets international standards,” Ombaka stated, responding to concerns about the equipment.
However, two senior MSS officers told Reuters that a delegation plans to travel to Washington this week to raise these equipment quality concerns with U.S. officials, the primary funder and equipment provider for the mission.
The U.S. State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Reuters.
The dire situation in Haiti has been further highlighted by the death of a second Kenyan officer, Benedict Kabiru, during a botched operation.
His death has ignited accusations of a cover-up by Kenyan authorities.
While Haitian authorities confirmed Kabiru’s death on March 24, 2025, during an anti-gang operation in Savien, his family was initially informed by Kenyan police that he was “missing.”
Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja addressed the incident without confirming or denying the officer’s death, only insisting that a search was still ongoing.
He assured that information would be shared with the public once the officer was found.
Kanja’s remarks after Haitian media reported the officer’s death led to accusations of a deliberate delay in relaying information, which many say is not even accurate, and a lack of transparency.
Kabiru’s family has stated that the Kenyan government has not provided them with clear information, further fueling suspicion.
Meanwhile, Haitian media reports that negotiations are underway with the gang believed to be holding Kabiru’s body.
Kabiru’s death marks the second Kenyan casualty since the mission’s deployment in June 2024, following the death of Samuel Tompoi Kaetuai.
These mounting casualties have sparked public outrage in Kenya and intensified calls for the withdrawal of Kenyan forces.
The Kenyan government has justified its involvement in Haiti on humanitarian grounds, but analysts suggest that the deployment is also driven by a desire to enhance Kenya’s international standing and strengthen ties with the United States.
The discrepancies between official statements and the accounts from officers on the ground, however, are raising serious questions about the mission’s transparency and the safety of Kenyan personnel.
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