Family of missing Kenyan police officer in Haiti moves to court over gov't silence

The family of a Kenyan police officer who went missing while on a peacekeeping mission in Haiti has moved to court, accusing the government of withholding crucial information about his fate.

In a petition filed at the Milimani Law Courts under a certificate of urgency, the officer’s mother Jacinta Wanjiku Kabiru, his uncle Daniel Kabiru Ndung’u, and his brother Philip Kamau Kuria are seeking a court order compelling government agencies to confirm whether the officer—Benedict Kabiru Kuria—is alive or dead.

Benedict, an officer with the Administration Police Service, was deployed to Haiti as part of a 400-member Kenyan police contingent under the UN-backed Multinational Security Support Mission. He departed Kenya on June 25, 2024, and is reported to have arrived in Haiti on June 29.

The family says they were informed on March 26, 2025, that Benedict had gone missing in action during a violent confrontation a day earlier. A public statement from the Office of the Inspector General, relayed through the Director of Corporate Communication, confirmed the incident. Local administrators later formally informed the family.

Despite promises from the Deputy Inspector General’s office that a search and rescue operation is ongoing, the family says they have been left in the dark—receiving no official updates or clear communication about Benedict’s status more than three months later.

The respondents named in the case include the Cabinet Secretary for Interior, the National Police Service, the Deputy Inspector General of the Administration Police, the Cabinet Secretary for Foreign Affairs, and the Attorney General.

Through their lawyers, the family is seeking a mandamus order compelling the State to disclose Benedict’s current status—dead or alive—and, if alive, his exact location.

They further argue that the government’s silence amounts to a violation of Article 35 of the Constitution, which guarantees citizens the right to access information. The family claims they have been denied access to official reports detailing efforts to locate Benedict, or any correspondence between Kenyan authorities and the Haitian Transitional Presidential Council (CPT).