Autopsy confirms Kenyan police officer in Haiti died in road accident

Kennedy Mutuku Nzuve, the Kenyan police officer who died while on duty in Haiti, succumbed to injuries sustained in a road accident.

An autopsy conducted a day after his body was repatriated to Kenya on Friday confirmed Nzuve’s cause of death as reported by the police, bringing to an end nearly a month of uncertainty and anguish for his family.

Officer Nzuve died on August 31 while serving in the United Nations-backed Multinational Security Support Mission in Haiti.

He becomes the third Kenyan officer to lose his life since the deployment of Kenyan forces to the Caribbean nation.

On Saturday, his remains arrived at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport to a heavy and emotional atmosphere where he was received by his grieving family, friends, and colleagues.

The sombre silence and distraught expressions reflected the deep anguish the family has endured since his death on August 31.

“We have been waiting for agonising three weeks… it has been a tough moment for us…” said the family spokesperson, Steve Mutuku Peter.

Though still struggling to come to terms with his sudden demise, the family expressed a sense of relief, saying the return of his remains allows them to begin burial preparations — a step toward finding closure.

“There have been so many speculations that he is not coming… it is a relief for us today… We can now start preparations for his burial now that we have him around… we trust God… it has been a long journey,” added Peter.

Following a brief requiem mass led by clergy from the Administration Police Service, Officer Nzuve’s body was transferred to Chiromo Mortuary. The family has appealed to the government to fully cover the funeral expenses.

“Procedurally, it is the government that repatriated his remains. We are extending the same request as we prepare for his send-off… I’m sure the government will chip in so that we can give him a befitting send-off…” Peter noted.

Nzuve is among three Kenyan police officers who have lost their lives while deployed to Haiti as part of the UN-backed Multinational Security Support Mission. He died when an armoured vehicle overturned during an operation in Port-au-Prince.

The other fallen officers are 31-year-old Samuel Kaetuai, who was laid to rest in March, and Benedict Kabiru, whose body is yet to be repatriated.

Chief government pathologist Johansen Oduor conducted the autopsy, finding that Nzuve succumbed to multiple injuries sustained in a road accident.

The remains of the late Officer Nzuve have been preserved at Chiromo Mortuary, ahead of his interment scheduled for next Thursday. A day after his repatriation, family members visited the facility for body identification and to witness the autopsy examination.