NAIROBI, Kenya, Feb 25 – In Naserian, Kajiado West, the family of the late Kenyan police officer Samuel Kitwai is still struggling to come to terms with his tragic loss in Haiti.
The family was unaware of the tragedy until uniformed officers arrived at their doorstep on Monday morning, turning their world upside down and leaving them in shock and grief.
At just 26 years old, Kaitwai had dedicated his life to protecting others, but his dream was cut short by bullet wounds sustained in a brutal gun battle with Haitian gangs—leaving behind a void his family will struggle to cope with.
Like any young man, Kaitwai had dreams of building a home, raising his children, and securing a better future for his family. But those dreams were shattered in a foreign land when he was killed in a gunfight with gangs in Haiti’s Artibonite region.
Kaetuai Lesaru Salaash, the heartbroken father of the deceased, pleaded with the government to return Samuel’s body home so the family could see his face one last time and give him a befitting sendoff.
His loss has been deeply felt by both his family and the community.
“I heard in the morning that he had passed away. He encountered gangs who killed him. The young man is my son. He has left behind two young children. His wife is also young,” Salaash said in a painful tone.
Tragic End
Kitwai’s wife, Naomi, broke down in tears as she recalled their last communication. She said they had been in touch through text messages, as phone calls were not going through.
She described him as a caring father who always wanted to know how their children were doing.
“He was busy and couldn’t make phone calls home, but we had been communicating through texts. He was always asking about the kids,” she said.
Kitwai, 26, was identified as a Police Constable, becoming the first officer to die in the line of duty under the Kenyan-led Multinational Security Support (MSS) Mission in Haiti.
The National Police Service (NPS) confirmed on Monday that Kitwai was among a team of security personnel ambushed by suspected gang members while on patrol on February 23.
“The officer sustained gunshot wounds and was rushed to the hospital, where he, unfortunately, succumbed to his injuries,” the NPS stated.
The MSS reported that the attack occurred during an operation in Ségur-Savien, located in Haiti’s Artibonite department.
Godfrey Otunge, the commander of the MSS in Haiti, said the officer was airlifted to Aspen Level 2 Hospital but passed away while receiving treatment.
“On Sunday, February 23, 2025, one of our MSS officers from the Kenyan contingent was injured during an operation in Ségur-Savien, in the Artibonite department. The officer was immediately airlifted to Aspen Level 2 Hospital but, unfortunately, succumbed to his injuries,” read the statement.
Kenya has so far deployed 744 officers to Haiti, including 24 officers from the elite all-female SWAT team, with the latest contingent of 144 police officers arriving in the country on February 7, 2025.
Other countries that have deployed officers for the mission include Guatemala, El Salvador, Jamaica, and Belize.