Residents of the Kakdhimu area in Rachuonyo West Sub-county, Homa Bay County, were left in utter shock after a police officer took the lives of three children, including two of his own, before ending his own.
The officer, who was based in Marsabit County, is believed to have committed the heinous act in his rural home while he was on leave.
Authorities have since confirmed that two of the children who died in the officer's hands were his own, while the other child belonged to his brother-in-law.
The incident left residents of Kawarwai, located in Kakdhimu East Location, Kawiti Sublocation, in shock, with videos obtained by Kenyans.co.ke painting an image of shock and disbelief among the villagers.
Investigations by authorities into the murder and subsequent deadly self-harm uncovered a note believed to have been left behind by the officer.
In the suicide note, the officer gives details on how he wanted to be buried as well as instructions on how he wanted his property to be distributed.
Further, the suicide note also appeared to suggest that close kin to the officer were unaware of the fact that he was a police officer and instead believed he worked as a construction worker.
"My employer had to prove to the villagers that I was working in the service and not at a 'mjengo or as a fisherman the way they knew," the note read in part.
It is worth noting that the note is being treated with suspicion, as authorities have yet to confirm whether it was authored by the officer, particularly since it was typed rather than handwritten.
This is the latest case of a police officer going rogue, with incidents of officers turning on their kin or themselves being on the rise in recent months.
In March, a police officer left his colleagues in shock after turning a gun on himself in Kericho County. The officer was attached to the Sosiot Police Station.
A separate incident at the Marigat Deputy County Commissioner’s (DCC) office in Baringo County saw a constable on night duty sustain injuries after an attempt to take his own life.
The National Police Service (NPS), in an attempt to safeguard officers' mental health, has established a counselling unit complete with staff to attend to officers whose mental health was deteriorating.
