Kenyan Police Dismiss Rumors of Officers’ Deaths in Haiti

By Samuel Ouma

Kenya’s National Police Service (NPS) has rebutted claims circulating on social media regarding the alleged deaths of seven Kenyan officers deployed in Haiti.

In a statement issued by Inspector General Japhet Koome, the NPS refuted the allegations, stating they were "unfounded, false, unpatriotic, and malicious claims.

Koome assured the public that all the 400 officers deployed in the Caribbean nation are safe and actively fulfilling their mission.

“The attention of this office has been drawn to the unfounded, false, unpatriotic, and malicious claims circulating on social media that seven National Police Service Officers have been killed in Haiti,” read the statement in part.

Koome said that despite these rumours, the Haitian community warmly welcomed the officers upon arrival and has since collaborated with the Haitian National Police.

“Our Officers have been working closely with their host, the Haitian National Police, and have so far undertaken strategic mapping of the key areas of operational concerns and conducted several joint patrols within Port-au-Prince,” he said.

“Our mission in Haiti is a noble task for the good of our brothers and sisters of Haiti, and further appeal to fellow Kenyans to support them as they lift our national flag high, along with discharging their international policing mandate,” said Koome.

The NPS affirmed its dedication to transparency, pledging to update the public through credible media channels on the mission's ongoing progress.

On June 24, 2024, Kenya dispatched the first contingent of 400 police officers to Haiti to conduct operations targeted at combating the gang threat to local citizens.