Multinational Security Support Mission (MSSM) to Haiti spokesperson Jack Ombaka has dismissed a viral video showing a Kenyan police officer believed to be in the hands of the Caribbean nation’s gangs as fake.
After reports emerged that a Kenyan officer, Benedict Kabiru, had gone missing during an operation in Haiti, the video went viral after being circulated via social media, showing the final moments of the officer who was initially thought to have been Kabiru.
However, Ombaka claims that the Haiti gangs thrive on propaganda and that they might have made the video with that sole purpose.
Speaking during an interview with one of the local TV stations on the night of Saturday, April 5, 2025, Ombaka said the Kenyan officer is still missing in action and that the Kenyan mission is doing everything possible to find him.
AI Video by Haiti gangs
He also confirmed that the family of the missing officer was duly informed about the development and that all available resources have been deployed to trace him.
According to Ombaka, it is very likely that the video was generated by artificial intelligence (AI).
“The first thing that we do when we have such a kind of development is we try as much as possible to get in touch with the next of kin, and I can tell you authoritatively that that was done. About the video, one thing that is clear here in Haiti is that many of the gangs thrive on propaganda. That video is in circulation, and more so in the advent of AI, it is very unlikely that it is a video of Benedict circulating. When we came here, the gangs were thriving on propaganda, and a lot of mechanisms have been put in place to ensure that they don’t use social media in spreading the same propaganda,” Ombaka said.
Kenyan officer missing
The Kenyan police officer deployed in Haiti as part of the Multinational Security Support Mission (MSSM) went 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.
Ombaka, in a statement, said that 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.