The family of Benedict Kabiru, the Kenyan police officer who went missing in Haiti while on duty under the Multinational Security Support Mission (MSSM), has issued a 30-day ultimatum to the Kenyan government demanding answers over his disappearance.
Speaking to a local TV station on Saturday, May 3, 2025, the family’s lawyer, Mbuthi Gathenji, said they have formally written to Attorney General Dorcas Oduor demanding full and unconditional disclosure about Kabiru’s status.
The family has threatened legal action if no satisfactory response is received within the given period.
“We have formally written to the Attorney General Dorcas Oduor, and we have requested a detailed written and unconditional information about Benedict Kabiru,” Mbuthi Gathenji stated.
Daniel Kabiru, Benedict’s father, expressed the family’s pain, urging the government to bring the matter to a close and give them clarity on the search efforts. He said they want to know whether their son is still alive or not.
“Those who employed him, the government, should help us end this distress we are going through. They should tell us where they have reached in their search, whether he is alive or not, because we are in the dark,” Benedict’s father lamented.
Philip Kamau Kuria, Kabiru’s brother, echoed the family’s confusion, saying they are desperate for answers. He said they do not know whether their loved one is alive or dead.
Family in distress
Kabiru’s mother, Jacinta Wanjiru Kabiru, made an emotional appeal to the government earlier on March 27, calling for swift action. She said the only information she received was a call from the Kikuyu sub-county police commander informing her that her son was missing.
Since then, she said, no official updates have been given. She shared her distress over the lack of communication, saying that even after more than 24 hours, she was only told that her son was being searched for, with no further details provided.
“My request is for the government to act as quickly as possible. Since yesterday at 6:30 am, the report I received from the Kikuyu sub-county commander was that my son had gone missing. I have not received any other update,” she stated.
She pleaded with the government to return her son, alive and in good health, just as she had handed him over. She described him as the only source of support and the hope of the family.
“When I call, they just tell me that my son is missing and is being searched for. Now, it has been more than 24 hours, yet when I call, they still say he is being searched for, but I have no official report. I am asking the government to give me back my son, just as I handed him over—alive and in good health,” she appealed.
Adding;
“Now, I am pleading with the government—I want my child back, just as I handed him over, alive and in good health. He is my only source of support; he is the only hope for my family. I want my son, and I need a report as soon as possible.”
MSSM’s report
Kabiru was deployed to Haiti as part of the international peacekeeping efforts and was reported missing on Tuesday, March 25, 2025, during a patrol operation along the Carrefour Paye-Savien Main Supply Route in the Pont-Sonde area of the Artibonite Department.
According to MSSM spokesperson Jack Ombaka, Kabiru was inside an armoured vehicle belonging to the Haitian National Police (HNP) when it got stuck in a ditch believed to have been deliberately dug by gangs.
Two rescue vehicles, both Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP), were dispatched to assist but faced challenges. One of the MRAPs also got stuck while the other developed a mechanical issue. As the teams worked to resolve the situation, suspected gang members launched an ambush, causing chaos and resulting in Kabiru’s disappearance.
Ombaka confirmed that a Kenyan officer was reported missing following the attack and that specialised teams have since been deployed to search for him. He promised that investigations are ongoing and a full report will be provided.
“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.
Adding;
“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.