The National Police Service (NPS) refuted claims on Monday that Kenyan police officers serving on a U.N.-supported peacekeeping mission in Haiti had been killed.
Reports had circulated on Sunday suggesting that seven officers had lost their lives in the Caribbean nation, accompanied by a social media post alleging they were overrun and murdered by armed gangs.
The text of the post read: “7 Kenya police reported dead in Haiti, President William Ruto, God will never forgive you.”
However, the NPS dismissed the accompanying image as false.
Last week, the initial group of Kenyan police officers arrived in Haiti to contribute to efforts addressing widespread gang violence. The deployment of these 400 officers aims to assist local law enforcement in combating the escalating gang-related crime plaguing Haiti amidst ongoing instability and a humanitarian crisis.
Kenya volunteered in July of the previous year to lead an international coalition tasked by the United Nations Security Council with curbing the latest surge of violence in Haiti.
The mission was officially sanctioned on October 2, 2023, despite delays caused by the deteriorating security situation in the Caribbean nation, which led to the resignation of its former Prime Minister in March.
In total, Kenya plans to deploy 1,000 police officers to Haiti, joining forces with contingents from other nations such as Jamaica and Benin who have also pledged support to the U.N. mission.
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