Nairobi, February 24, 2025 – The National Police Service of Kenya announced today the heartbreaking death of one of its officers, who was serving with the Kenyan-led Multinational Security Support Mission (MSS) in Haiti.
The officer succumbed to injuries sustained during a patrol on February 23, 2025, after coming under fire from suspected gang members.
According to the press statement issued by Muchiri Nyaga, Director of Corporate Communication and Spokesperson for the National Police Service, the incident occurred while the security team was on duty.
The officer, who sustained gunshot wounds, was rushed to a hospital but unfortunately did not survive.
The National Police Service expressed its deepest sympathies to the officer’s family and friends, assuring them of unwavering support during this difficult time.
The statement highlighted the officer’s sacrifice while serving in the line of duty, underscoring the risks faced by peacekeepers in the region.
The Multinational Security Support Mission, in collaboration with the Haiti National Police (HNP), continues its tireless efforts to restore peace and stability in Haiti.
The statement also commended the National Police Officers in Haiti for their ongoing commitment to achieving the mission’s mandate despite the challenges.
In October 2023, the United Nations Security Council authorized a special international mission called the Multinational Security Support (MSS) Mission to help Haiti, a Caribbean country struggling with severe gang violence and insecurity.
Haiti, one of the poorest nations in the Western Hemisphere, has faced increasing instability since the assassination of its president, Jovenel Moïse, in 2021.
Gangs have taken control of large parts of the capital, Port-au-Prince, and other areas, leading to thousands of deaths, kidnappings, and displacement of people, as well as disrupting daily life, including access to schools and humanitarian aid.
Kenya volunteered to lead this mission, offering to send 1,000 police officers to work alongside Haiti’s own police force, the Haitian National Police (HNP), to restore order, protect critical infrastructure, and create conditions for holding free and fair elections.
This is a significant step for Kenya, as it marks the first time an African country has led such a mission in Haiti.
Other countries, including Jamaica, the Bahamas, Belize, and several others from the Caribbean and beyond, have also pledged personnel to support the effort, though the total number of deployed forces remains smaller than planned—currently around 590 personnel as of early 2025, mostly from Kenya.
The mission isn’t a traditional UN peacekeeping operation but is backed and authorized by the UN under a resolution that allows it to use necessary measures to address the violence.
It’s funded through voluntary contributions from countries, with the United States being a major financial backer, pledging hundreds of millions of dollars, though funding challenges have persisted.
The mission’s goal is to help Haiti’s police combat gangs, reduce violence, and stabilize the country, but it faces significant hurdles, including limited resources, logistical issues, and opposition or skepticism from some Haitian groups and international observers about foreign intervention.
Since the first Kenyan officers arrived in Haiti in June 2024, the mission has made some progress, such as securing key infrastructure and conducting joint patrols with Haitian police.
However, gang violence has continued to escalate, with gangs gaining more territory and power in some areas, and the mission has been criticized for being underfunded and understaffed.
As of February 2025, there’s ongoing discussion about possibly transitioning the mission into a full UN peacekeeping operation to secure more stable funding and support, but this idea faces opposition from some nations, like Russia and China.
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