The phone call on Friday, August 29, is now a lasting memory for the family of Corporal Kennedy Mutuku Nzuve.
Speaking from Haiti, where he was deployed under the Multinational Security Support Mission, he assured his mother that he was safe and happy despite the dangers around him.
He even told her that he had grown to love the troubled country and was looking forward to returning home for his leave in November.
For his mother, Serah Ndunge, those words were a relief that gave her peace of mind, but they later turned into the source of her deepest sorrow.
Two days after that conversation, the family received devastating news. On Sunday, August 31, Nzuve lost his life in a road accident in the Perlerin 9 area along the Kenscoff–Pétion-Ville road in Port-au-Prince.
The accident involved two armored vehicles, one of which developed mechanical problems while towing the other.
The crash left Nzuve and another officer dead, while eight others sustained injuries, three of them critically. He was rushed to Lambert Santé Hospital in Pétion-Ville but was pronounced dead shortly after arrival.
The road where the accident occurred is known for its dangers, including ambushes and clashes.
Nzuve’s death highlighted not just the perils of serving in such regions but also the sacrifices made by officers on foreign missions. For his mother, the pain was unimaginable. She admitted that after speaking with her son, she had not called him again over the weekend, trusting that he was safe.
The news of his death shattered that sense of security. Nzuve was born on March 8, 1984, in Machakos County and joined the National Police Service in 2005. Over the years, he served in the Rapid Deployment Unit in different regions such as Narok and Baringo.
His colleagues and community members knew him as a disciplined and courageous officer, committed to his work and dedicated to protecting others.
When Kenya sent officers to Haiti, he was among those chosen to represent the country in the 3rd contingent, a role that showed the trust placed in his abilities.
For his family, the loss is heavy. His relative, Faith Phillip, appealed to the government to help with repatriation and burial arrangements, stressing that they wanted him to be given a dignified send-off.
The family and community in Machakos remember him as more than a police officer. He was a son, a mentor, and a role model whose dedication went beyond his work. He cared deeply about his community and always thought about ways to give back.
The tragedy has left his mother struggling to accept the loss of her only child. She remembers him as a man full of life, optimistic even in the face of danger, and unafraid to serve where others feared to go.
His final words remain etched in her heart, words of courage and happiness that now serve as her final memory of him.
His story reflects the weight borne by families of officers serving abroad, torn between pride in their loved ones’ service and the grief that follows when missions end in tragedy.
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