Police officer shoots girlfriend dead and commits suicide in Njoro, Nakuru

A police officer based at the Njoro station in Nakuru County has reportedly shot dead his girlfriend before committing suicide.

According to preliminary report, Constable Bernard Sivo, 28, had first attacked his girlfriend Mary Nyambura, 29, in their house and broke her right leg in an assault.

Sivo is said to have stormed the hospital a little while later and shot the woman several times on the right arm, right wrist, and right back as she was being treated and died on the spot.

“Afterwards, he went back to the station and wildly fired aimlessly endangering the lives of other fellow officers. A team had been mobilised to disarm him but unfortunately he shot himself on the chin and the bullet exited in the forehead,” stated the police report.

The motive of the incident is yet to be known.

The bodies of the deceased have since been transferred to the Egerton University Morgue awaiting postmortem.

Meanwhile, in the wake of rising suicide and murder cases, the National Police Service (NPS) is closely monitoring more than 200 officers with mental illness.

The service has been forced to review policies and regulations on promotions, transfers and discipline, which have been cited as major triggers of mental breakdown among officers.

According to a document prepared by the National Police Service Commission (NPSC), it is assessing 104 officers to determine their suitability to continue serving while another 113 are being treated for mental distress.

“There are about 113 police officers within the NPS under care and treatment for mental illness with four female and 109 males spread across different facilities in the country,” states the document.

“In addition, there are 104 officers with mental illness and psychosis to be assessed by the medical board established by the commission to establish their suitability to continue police duties.”