A Kenyan police officer sent to Haiti as part of a multinational security mission was fatally shot during an operation against violent gangs, Kenyan authorities confirmed on Sunday.
The officer was killed in the western Artibonite region, where Kenyan forces were conducting an operation to neutralize gangs terrorizing local communities. It was the first death since Kenya assumed leadership of the international security mission in Haiti in June 2024.
Mission Claims First Casualty
“We salute our fallen hero,” mission spokesman Jack Ombaka stated. “We will not give up on pursuing these gangs. We will see this mission through to the end.”
The shooting happened as Kenyan officers responded to calls for help from residents in the Pont-Sonde region. After the attack, the wounded officer was airlifted for medical treatment but later succumbed to his injuries, according to Kenyan mission commander Godfrey Otunge.
Officers began pursuing the attackers after the incident. Ombaka expressed gratitude for the assistance of medical personnel and Salvadoran forces involved in the anti-gang operation.
Gang Violence Increase
The officer’s death comes amid an escalation of gang-related violence in Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince, and surrounding areas. The Gran Grif gang, which controls the area where the deadly shooting took place, is one of several armed groups that have expanded their control over the country since the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in 2021.
The killing presents a significant challenge for the Kenyan-led mission working to restore stability in Haiti, where gangs are increasingly overpowering local law enforcement. Kenya has deployed hundreds of police officers to strengthen Haiti’s security forces, with another 200 arriving in February to add to the 600 already deployed in the country.
The Kenyan officers are part of a broader multinational effort that includes security personnel from Jamaica, Guatemala and El Salvador to strengthen the Haitian National Police and wrest control from criminal groups.