Kenyan officer deployed to Haiti killed in violent gang encounter

A Kenyan police officer deployed to Haiti to assist in combating violent gangs was killed during a confrontation with one of the gangs, according to Kenyan officials on Sunday.

The incident occurred in the Artibonite region, where Kenyan forces were engaged in operations to address gang violence.

The Kenyan mission reported that the officers were responding to a request for assistance from residents in Pont-Sonde.

The officer was airlifted for medical treatment but succumbed to his injuries, as stated by Godfrey Otunge, the commander of the Kenyan contingent in Haiti.

Following the shooting, the officers pursued the assailants. Mission representative Jack Ombaka expressed gratitude to hospital personnel and Salvadoran forces for their support after the incident.

“This is the sacrifice our brave officer made — he lost his life while defending the people of Haiti,” Ombaka remarked.

The Gran Grif gang is known to dominate the area.

This loss is a setback for efforts to control Haiti's gangs, which have been rampant since the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in 2021.

Kenya has deployed hundreds of officers to support Haiti's struggling law enforcement, with an additional 200 officers arriving in February to join over 600 already present, as part of a multinational force that includes personnel from Jamaica, Guatemala, and El Salvador.