Kenyan Police Officer in Haiti Goes Missing After Gangs Launch an Attack

A Kenyan police officer on the Multinational Security Support (MSS) in Haiti remains unaccounted for after gangs in the Caribbean Nation launched an attack targeting the police vehicles.

MSS spokesperson Jack Ombaka in a statement issued on Wednesday, March 26, 2025, said that the officers who were on mission to recover one of the Haitian National Police (HNP) armored vehicle that had stuck while on patrol along Carrefour Paye-Savien Main Supply route in the Pont-Sonde area were ambushed by the gangs, after their vehicles, two MSS Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP), also got stuck.

According to MSS, the vehicles got stuck in holes that had been dug by the Haitian gangs who were on standby waiting to attack.

The incident happened on Tuesday, March 25, 2025.

Specialized teams have since been deployed to try and find the unaccounted for officer.

“On March 25, 2025, at approximately 16:30 hrs, a Haitian National Police (HNP) armored vehicle on patrol along the Carrefour Paye-Savien Main Supply Route in the Pont-Sonde area, Artibonite Department, got stuck in a ditch—suspected to have been deliberately dug by gangs. In response, two MSS Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles from Pont-Sonde were dispatched to assist in the recovery,” MSS stated in a statement issued via social media.

“Unfortunately, during the recovery operation, one of the MRAPs also got stuck, while the other developed a mechanical issue. As the rescue teams attempted to resolve the situation, suspected gang members lying in wait launched an attack. As a result of the incident, one MSS Kenyan contingent officer remains unaccounted for. Specialized teams have been deployed to conduct a search and determine his whereabouts. A comprehensive brief will follow.”

This comes barely a month after a Kenyan police officer was killed on the MSS mission in Haiti.

Samuel Tampoi Kaetuai, 26, died on February 23, 2025, after he was fatally shot by gangs in a western region of Haiti.

He was the first Kenyan to be killed during the mission, which began deploying in June.