On Tuesday, February 27, a police officer shot dead a prison warden following a quarrel between the two inside a bar in Kitale, Trans Nzoia County.
The sounds of gunshots reverberated from the bar, causing residents to scatter for safety, while others observed the altercation from a distance.
In response to the escalating situation, residents closed down their shops as the suspect threatened to harm anyone who approached him.
Fellow police officers immediately arrived at the scene and tried to de-escalate the situation but were unable to resolve the matter.
Immediately after shooting dead the prison warden, the officer also shot himself. Police officers rushed inside the room and disarmed the constable before handcuffing him.
They then bundled him into the police Landcruiser and rushed him to Kitale County Hospital.
Upon receiving the information, County Commissioner Gideon Oyagi visited the scene and directed the police to conduct a thorough investigation into the incident, which brought businesses in Kitale to a standstill.
Prison wardens also rushed to the scene where their colleague was gunned down.
Meanwhile, the cause of the fight is yet to be established.
The incident comes barely two months after a similar scenario was witnessed in Kieni, Nyeri County, where a police officer shot his boss.
A police report revealed that the junior officer shot his boss after he was relieved of his duties.
“The corporal was drunk hence, the inspector relieved him of his duty and ordered him to get back to the vehicle as arrangements were made to replace him,” the police report stated.
“Two bullets hit him at the right hand and the other at the waist, which lodged in the body," the report added.
