A disturbing video surfaced showing a Kenyan police officer, believed to be a member of the Multinational Security Support (MSS) Mission in Haiti, in the hands of gang members.
The amateur footage, seemingly recorded on a mobile phone, shows the officer motionless on the ground as one of the assailants slaps him.
This came hours after authorities in Haiti said the officer was missing and a search and rescue mission was ongoing following the March 25 incident.
The Kenyan police officer serving in the Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission in Haiti was killed during a confrontation with gang members in the Lower Artibonite region, approximately 92 kilometers north of Port-au-Prince.
The officer’s identity has not been disclosed.
The incident happened when three armored vehicles became immobilized in a ditch, suspected to have been deliberately dug by gangs.
As recovery efforts were underway, gang members launched an attack, resulting in the officer being shot.
The gangs took custody of the officer’s body, and specialized teams have been deployed to retrieve it.
Officials said the situation is particularly complex because the victim’s body is currently in the hands of the criminals. Three armored vehicles belonging to the Haitian National Police (PNH) were set on fire during the assault, which quickly escalated into a massacre.
The attack in Savien is part of a series of increasingly violent clashes between Haitian security forces and gangs operating across the country. The incident highlights the seriousness of the security situation in Haiti, where the rise of criminal groups now appears to have reached unprecedented levels of barbarity.
This marks the second fatality among Kenyan officers in Haiti. Previously, on February 23, 2025, Police Constable Samuel Tompoi Kaetuai was fatally shot during an anti-gang operation in the Artibonite region.
The MSS mission, led by Kenyan forces, aims to assist Haitian authorities in combating escalating gang violence.
Despite these efforts, gangs reportedly control approximately 85 percent of Port-au-Prince, leading to significant displacement and casualties among residents.
MSS has confirmed that the officer went missing following an ambush by suspected gang members in the Artibonite Department.
According to MSS spokesperson Jack Ombaka, the officer disappeared on March 25 at around 16:30 hrs when a routine patrol by the Haitian National Police (HNP) encountered difficulties along the Carrefour Paye-Savien Main Supply Route. The HNP’s armoured vehicle became stuck in what is suspected to be a deliberately dug ditch.
MSS deployed two Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles from Pont-Sonde to assist, but the rescue operation took a turn for the worse when one MRAP also got stuck, and the other suffered a mechanical failure.
As the rescue teams attempted to resolve the situation, suspected gang members lying in wait launched an attack,” Ombaka stated.
MSS confirmed that specialized teams have been deployed to locate him and assess the situation.
Haiti is sinking deeper into crisis as gangs tighten their stranglehold on the country, now controlling more than 85 percent of the capital Port-au-Prince.
Haiti has a long and fraught history of prolonged foreign interventions that have failed to secure lasting political stability, and the current crisis is no exception.
Experts argue that international actors must rethink how they allocate their efforts and resources in Haiti to more effectively support the country’s path to stabilization.
Gangs in Haiti have steadily expanded their control of the country since the 2023 assassination of President Jovenel Moïse, seizing the power vacuum left in his wake. The crisis deepened in April 2024 when acting Prime Minister Ariel Henry resigned, paving the way for a transitional government. But the U.S.-backed Transitional Council has since struggled to stabilize the country or move it closer to presidential elections.
Email your news TIPS to Editor@Kahawatungu.com — this is our only official communication channel
