Kenyan Cop Goes Missing In Haiti After Fight With Gang

A Kenyan police officer deployed in Haiti as part of the Multinational Security Support Mission (MSSM) has gone missing after an attack by suspected gang members.

The officer disappeared on Tuesday, March 25, 2025, at around 4:30 pm during a patrol operation along the Carrefour Paye-Savien Main Supply Route in the Pont-Sonde area, Artibonite Department.

According to MSSM spokesperson Jack Ombaka, the officer was in an armoured vehicle belonging to the Haitian National Police (HNP) when it got trapped in a ditch, which is suspected to have been deliberately dug by gangs.

Ombaka added that two MSS Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles were sent from Pont-Sonde to help retrieve the stranded armoured vehicle.

“Unfortunately, during the recovery efforts, one of the MRAPs also got stuck, while the other developed a mechanical issue. As the rescue teams attempted to resolve the situation, suspected gang members who were lying in wait launched an attack,” Ombaka stated.

The attack created a chaotic situation, and one Kenyan contingent officer was reported missing. Ombaka stated that specialised search teams have since been deployed to find the officer and establish his whereabouts.

“As a result of the incident, one MSS Kenyan contingent officer remains unaccounted for. Specialised teams have been deployed to conduct a search and determine his whereabouts,” Ombaka added.

Ombaka assured that a comprehensive briefing will be provided as investigations continue.

This is not the first attack on Kenyan officers in Haiti. Last month, on February 23, Constable Samuel Tompoi Kaetuai was fatally wounded during an operation in Ségur-Savien, marking the first casualty among the Kenyan contingent.

His body was flown back and received by his father, Kaetuai Salaash, on March 10, 2025, from where it was transferred to the Chiromo Mortuary.

“The Deputy Inspector General of the Administration Police Service, Gilbert Masengeli, this evening, March 10, 2025, received the body of the late Police Officer Samuel Tompoi Kaetuai at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA),” a statement from the National Police Service read.

“The body was later transferred to Chiromo Mortuary for preservation, with burial arrangements set for a later date.

He was laid to rest on Wednesday, March 19, 2025.