Police officers in Migori County are investigating the death of a colleague who shot himself in Suna West Sub-County.
The incident reportedly occurred on the morning of Sunday, June 2, when the man shot himself in the chest and was rushed to a local hospital where he died while undergoing treatment.
Before the tragic incident, a colleague of the deceased revealed that they were both patrolling on the eve of the incident.
The officer disclosed that the deceased excused himself from the patrol to handle an undisclosed personal matter.
A few minutes later, the officer heard gunshots from her colleague's house and rushed to the scene only to find him bleeding from a gunshot.
Per the area police commander, the deceased had received a call from his wife who wanted to purchase electricity tokens. He, however, shot himself before talking to his spouse.
The 31-year-old officer took his life in front of his wife and children. His body was taken to the local morgue for preservation and autopsy.
Cases of police officers fatally shooting themselves have been on the rise across the country. Some of the cases have been linked to stress and mental health issues due to their line of work.
Another incident was reported last week in Tana River County where a police officer reportedely killed himself inside the Tarsaa Police Station. The officer had been arrested after he was accused of assaulting his mother.
In March, an officer from Laikipia County was found dead inside his house. The officer attached to Umande Police Station allegedly shot himself in the chin.
Recently, Suna West Member of Parliament Peter Masara proposed the National Police Service Commission (Amendment) Bill 2024 to establish psychosocial units to offer counselling services to plice officers due to the nature of their jobs.
Counsellors, medics, and psychologists highly recommend seeking help whenever you experience any mental health issues. Call the Kenya Red Cross toll-free hotline, 1199, for support.
