Nairobi, Kenya – The families of two Kenyan police officers deployed to Haiti as part of a multinational security mission have filed lawsuits against the government, demanding answers about their loved ones’ disappearances amid escalating gang violence in the Caribbean nation.
Relatives of Corporal John Maina (name changed for privacy) and Administration Police Officer Benedict Kabiru say they have been left in agonizing silence, with no clear information on whether the officers are alive, missing, or dead months after they vanished in separate incidents.
Kabiru’s Disappearance: A Family’s Desperate Plea
Kabiru, a Border Patrol Unit officer, went missing on March 26, 2025, during a rescue mission in the gang-controlled town of Savien, northwest of Port-au-Prince. Reports indicate he and fellow officers were ambushed, but Kenyan authorities have yet to provide a definitive statement on his fate.
On March 31, 2025, Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja stated that the search for Kabiru was ongoing. However, the situation took a grim turn when a disturbing video surfaced online on April 6, allegedly showing Kabiru’s final moments a bloodied, lifeless body in uniform.
Jack Ombaka, spokesperson for the Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission, dismissed the footage as gang propaganda, citing concerns over AI-manipulated content.
“We are working tirelessly to account for all officers. Kabiru went missing in action, and we are using all resources—including local Haitian communities and international partners—to locate him,” Ombaka told NTV. “The video is not authentic, and we have assured his family of this.”
Yet, Kabiru’s family says they remain in the dark.
A Lawsuit for Truth
In a case filed at the High Court in Nairobi, Kabiru’s mother, Jacinta Wanjiku, brother Phillip Kamau, and uncle Daniel Ndung’u accuse the government of failing to provide concrete information. They have sued:
-
Attorney General Dorcas Oduor
-
Inspector General Douglas Kanja
-
National Police Service Commission
-
Interior CS Kipchumba Murkomen
-
Prime CS Musalia Mudavadi
According to court filings, Kabiru—who served in high-risk areas like Garissa, Mandera, and Boni Forest joined the Haiti mission in July 2024. His family says he regularly communicated with them until March, when contact ceased after reports of an ambush.
“The Director of Operations dismissed the rumors as fake news, but when we pressed for answers, he went silent,” the family stated. “We just want to know if he’s alive. We feel abandoned.”
Meanwhile, the family of Corporal John Maina—missing since June 10, 2025—has also sued, demanding transparency. His wife, Wanjiku Mwangi, broke down outside Milimani Law Courts:
“They sent our husbands to Haiti but won’t tell us if they’re dead or alive. Our children cry every night, asking for their father.”
Government Under Fire
Human rights groups have condemned the lack of transparency.
“If officers are missing, the state must inform families—not hide behind ‘operational secrecy,’” said Miriam Wanjiru of the Kenya Human Rights Commission.
The High Court is set to hear both cases next week. As Kenya’s Haiti mission continues, the lawsuits highlight a growing crisis: families of deployed officers left without answers, while the government remains silent.
