A police officer attached to the Nyakiang'a Police Station in Murang'a County died by suicide on Monday.
The police constable, according to a report, was at the police quarters inside the station when the incident occurred at around 2:30 pm.
At this specific moment, the officer's colleague was manning the report office when he heard several gunshots coming from the police quarters, prompting him to rush to the scene.
It was at this point that he found the late officer lying in a pool of blood.
The scene was visited by the Sub-County Police Commander (Scpc), Mathioya Sub-County Criminal Investigations Officer, and the Deputy Officer Commanding Station attached to the Nyakiang'a Police Station.
Crime Scene Investigations (CSI) officers from Murang'a County headquarters also processed the scene with the objective of getting leads to establish the motive behind the murder.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the officer shot himself inside the mouth with the bullet exiting through the rear part of the head.
"A total of 3 rounds of 7.62×51mm were expended," read part of the police report.
The officer's body was transferred to Kiria-ini Mission Hospital Mortuary awaiting a post-mortem examination.
The incident adds to the recent spike in cases of officers taking their lives. It also highlights the challenges that the men in uniform undergo in the line of duty.
The cases have been linked to the trauma and stress that the officers go through due to the demanding nature of their work.
To curb the crisis, the National Police Service (NPS) established a working policy to provide professional counseling services to officers in need.
In extreme cases, the officers may be referred to the Chiromo Hospital Group to seek help from mental health experts.
