Inspector General of the National Police Service Douglas Kanja Sunday led senior officers in visiting and condoling with the family and friends of constable Samuel Tompoi Kaetuai after he was killed in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.
The officer was killed in a clash with suspected gunmen in a slum in the Haitian capital.
Kanja and his team visited the family at Naserian Village, Kajiado East Sub-County, Kajiado County, as they mourned his demise.
Kanja eulogised Tompoi as a hero and ambassador who lost his life in the line of duty while defending global peace.
He acknowledged that the officer was well-trained for the mission and that his death was a great loss to the National Police Service.
Tompoi, 28, was an expert in bombing and sharpshooting.
He was shot in the head in a clash with a criminal gang in Port-au-Prince.
Kanja assured that the well-being of the officers deployed for the mission in Haiti remains a top priority of the Kenyan government, and there is constant communication with the team to ensure they receive the necessary support.
The IG was accompanied by DIG-KPS Eliud Lagat, DIG-APS Gilbert Masengeli, and other senior officers in attending the Sunday service, organized by local churches to comfort the bereaved family.
Senator Peris Tobiko, State House Controller Dr. Katoo Ole Metito, and NPSC Commissioner John Ole Moyaki, among other government officials, were also present.
Kanja said the body of the officer is expected to arrive in Kenya between March 5 and 6.
Kanja confirmed that all logistical preparations for transporting the body had been completed and that the journey from Haiti would commence on March 4.
He assured the family of the government’s and police department’s unwavering support during this difficult period.
The Multinational Security Support Mission confirmed on X early Monday that a Kenyan officer had succumbed to injuries sustained during an operation.
Kenya’s Foreign Ministry Principal Secretary Korir Sing’Oei expressed his grief on X, saying he was "heartbroken by the loss of a member of Kenya's deployment."
At the weekend, Haiti said police had launched a large-scale operation in a shantytown controlled by powerful gang leader Jimmy Chérizier, who is widely known as Barbecue.
The authorities say several gang members were killed in the Lower Delmas area of the capital, Port-au-Prince.
Local reports say military drones carrying explosives are being used in the operation.
Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé praised the assault.
He said it was the work of a special task force created two days ago to tackle insecurity.
On March 1, the Haitian National Police (PNH) conducted a thorough operation in the Delmas 6 neighborhood of Port-au-Prince, believed to be the stronghold of notorious gang leader Jimmy “Barbecue” Chérizier.
According to the Prime Minister who announced on X, the operation led to the deaths of several gang members.
“The Task Force created by the government and the [Presidential Transitional Council] (CPT), in less than 48 hours, is already yielding results," Fils-Aimé's statement said.
"A large-scale operation is underway in Bas-Delmas, and several gang members have already been neutralized. Security forces are mobilized, and a state of readiness has been declared."
Chérizier, aged 47, is the feared leader of Viv Ansam (Live Together), a coalition of gangs that control much of the city.
It is not clear whether Kenyan police officers deployed in Haiti last year to help fight the gangs are involved in the security operation.
Haiti has been grappling with escalating gang violence, with the United Nations reporting that at least 5,601 people were killed in gang-related incidents last year—1,000 more than in 2023.
The UN also documented 315 lynchings of alleged gang members and 281 suspected summary executions by police.
This violence has displaced over a million Haitians, according to the UN’s migration agency. Gang control in Port-au-Prince has led to an almost complete breakdown of law and order, the collapse of health services and the emergence of a food security crisis.
More than 5,500 people were killed in gang-related violence in the Caribbean nation in 2024 and more than a million people have fled their homes.
Haiti's transitional presidential council, the body created to re-establish democratic order, has made little progress towards organising long-delayed elections.
