A police officer on Monday, August 10, James Mwangi Nderitu committed suicide by setting himself ablaze in his rural home in Mwigoyo village in Kieni East Nyeri County.
James was attached to the Ngethu Water Treatment plant in Kiambu as an administrative officer.
The officer locked himself inside his three-bedroomed house and in a strange twist of events, doused it with petrol and set it on fire.
Confirming the incident, Kieni West police boss Ali Andi said that the officer was on two days off duty and had travelled to his rural home when he committed suicide for unknown reasons.
"The officer was alone in their homestead after his wife left to take care of his sick sibling in Muranga, and his children were in school when this incident occurred, only his aged parents were in the homestead,” Andi was quoted by Capital FM.
Abdi speaking to Capital Fm news beat, said that the officer who is in the rank of a constable had no known physiological ailments, and he left behind no suicide note to indicate why he took his life.
“Although his father was at home, he did not notice anything amiss with his son, the neighbours are the ones who noticed his house was on fire, but it was too late to save him,“ said Andi.
Abdi, however, said that they have opened an inquest file to establish the circumstances of his death while his charred remains were taken to the Nyeri County Referral Hospital Morgue.
This incident comes hot on heels after a prison warden was found dead in his house in Nyeri town over the weekend.
Also earlier this year, a Senior Kenya Defence Forces(KDF) officer was found dead in a toilet located inside the Lanet Barracks in Nakuru County.
The officer identified as Major RK Mbithuka, was found laying in a pool of blood and it was suspected to be a suicide case.
“Preliminary investigations indicate that the officer committed suicide by stabbing himself using a kitchen knife,” read a report about the incident.
Concerns have been raised about the increase in deaths and murders involving security officers in Kenya.
Psychological issues have been described by experts as a significant contributor to increased suicide cases among the disciplined forces.
Inspector General of police, Hillary Mutyambai, on Monday, August 2, stated that he has guided the department of guidance and counselling to reach out to officers and assist them appropriately after depression and suicide cases surged in the National Police Service. (NPS)
"We have Counsellors and Psychologists within the service who do routine counselling sessions. I also encourage officers to speak out," stated Mutyambai.
