Police officer dies by suicide inside station’s radio room
When it was morning, the officers went to hoist the flag but when they came back they found their colleague had committed suicide at the window grill using his shoelace.
Detectives in Belgut, Kericho County have launched a probe into an incident where a police officer is suspected of having ended his life over unknown issues.
The deceased identified as Paul Wagathari went to the Sosiot police station where he was stationed looking disturbed alleging that he was being chased by unknown people at his house.
Wagathari spent the night with the report personnel in the radio room.
When it was morning, the officers went to hoist the flag but when they came back they found their colleague had committed suicide at the window grill using his shoelace.
“Wagathari was found to have committed suicide inside the radio room after his colleagues whom he had spent the night with had gone to hoist the flag. Earlier in the evening, he had come saying he was being chased by unknown people from his house,” the deceased colleagues told the investigating authorities.
The body of the deceased was moved to Siloam level 5 hospital awaiting an autopsy.
The police officers did not recover a suicide note from the crime scene.
This comes at a time there has been concern over rising cases of police officers killing themselves and even shooting their colleagues.
According to Munene Mugambi, Deputy Chief Executive Officer and Director of Inspections, Monitoring, and Preventive Services at the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA), who was a member of the Maraga Taskforce report, recommendations from the task force are key to restoring officer safety and public trust even as they help officers solve their mental health problems.
According to Mugambi, weak firearm control can only be resolved by prioritizing the mental health of the people in service and commanding accountability.
“The rising cases of officers turning guns on colleagues expose deep flaws in the mental health struggles, substance abuse, weak firearm control, and poor supervision. We must move from reactive responses to structured reforms that prioritize mental wellness, ethical training, and command accountability,” Mugambi stated.
