A police officer caught on camera yesterday staggering during the day in Buruburu area of Nairobi has taken his own life.
The unnamed officer is said to have committed suicide at the police residential houses in Buruburu yesterday.
According to a police report, the lifeless body of the officer who was stationed at the Buruburu Police Station was discovered hanging on the rafters of the police canteen within the police station on Thursday morning.
Officers on duty said the body of the officer was later transferred to Mama Lucy Teaching and Referral Hospital’s morgue after the scene was processed. It is not yet clear why the officer took his life. Meanwhile, police has opened investigations into the death.
He did not leave any suicide note behind. Police Spokesperson Bruno Shioso expressed regret over the death of the officer, saying an investigations had been launched.
“His death is unfortunate and we pass our condolences to the family. We will investigate to establish the root cause of the problem,” Shioso said.
In the viral video, the deceased officer was filmed staggering and later fell down. He was later helped by two members of the public who also secured his AK-47 rifle.
In a statement released yesterday by the National Police Service (NPS) said the officer’s behaviour was “unbecoming, unacceptable, and unprofessional”.
“A uniformed police officer is a visible representation and face of government and is required to remain extremely disciplined and professional while both on and off duty,” said NPS.
On Wednesday, the NPS said it had taken note of the video in which the officer appeared drunk.
The statement added: “As NPS, we hold our officers accountable with regard to matters of discipline, decorum, and conduct to ensure efficient and effective service provision to the public.”
A mental health awareness programme conducted last year revealed that officers have been taking their lives over a number of reasons including bipolar disorder, depression, schizophrenia, dementia and other psychoses.
