Kenya’s mission in Haiti has strongly dismissed a viral video circulating online, which falsely claims to show the final moments of a Kenyan police officer who went missing during a rescue operation in the troubled Caribbean nation.
Benedict Kabiru, a member of the Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission, was part of a team ambushed by a violent gang while on a mission in Savien, a town northwest of Porto-au-Prince.
Following the attack, local Haitian media reported that a Kenyan officer had been killed. Videos soon emerged online showing a bloodied and lifeless body of an officer, with many speculating that it was Kabiru. However, in an interview with NTV, MSS mission spokesperson Jack Ombaka dismissed the video, calling it nothing more than propaganda.
“We have made significant progress in our operation, and we are working tirelessly to account for all of our officers. Kabiru was involved in an operation in Port, and it was during this mission that he went missing,” Ombaka said. “As of now, we are still working to confirm his status. He is still missing in action, and we are deploying every available resource to locate him.”
Ombaka confirmed that the mission has been collaborating closely with local communities, the Haitian government, and international partners in the search for Kabiru. “We are receiving support from all parties, including the local Haitian population, the Haitian government, and our international partners. I’m pleased to report that the progress we’re making is promising,” he added.
Regarding the video circulating online, which some claim shows Kabiru’s final moments, Ombaka stressed the importance of verifying such content before drawing conclusions.
“Many of the Haitian gangs thrive on propaganda. With the rapid advancements in technology, especially with AI, it is highly unlikely that the video in question depicts Benedict Kabiru,” he explained. “We have made efforts to contact Kabiru’s family and keep them informed throughout this process. I can confirm that the video is not authentic.”
Ombaka emphasized that the Kenyan mission remains fully committed to Kabiru’s safe return, and officials are focused on verifying his whereabouts. Despite the false claims circulating online, the mission continues to work diligently to bring clarity to the situation.
In addition, Ombaka addressed concerns about communication lapses, particularly regarding the families of officers deployed in Haiti. He refuted claims that families were not receiving updates on their loved ones due to communication issues.
The government, he said, has implemented several measures to ensure that communication with officers’ families remains uninterrupted.
“The MSS has set up Wi-Fi facilities at all bases in Haiti to support communication,” Ombaka explained. “As we speak, I’m using the Wi-Fi facilities provided by MSS. Every base has Wi-Fi, which ensures that officers can stay in touch with their families.”
Moreover, Ombaka revealed that the Kenyan government provides each officer with airtime and data bundles to ensure they maintain communication with their loved ones.
“We share many updates through our social media platforms, and every time there’s an incident, whether positive or negative, we ensure that our audience stays informed,” he added.
Ombaka also detailed the merging of the Office of the Spokesperson with the Office of the Director of Strategic Communication. This move, he explained, was intentional to streamline the flow of information.
“The reason for this merger is simple: we want to ensure that information reaches the target audience as quickly as possible,” Ombaka said.
