Policeman commits suicide at tallying centre

By Robert Nyasato

Kisii, Kenya: Panic gripped Masimba Social Hall after an Administration Policeman shot himself dead while tallying for the Nyaribari Masaba constituency, Kisii County was underway on Monday.

There was anxiety when residents and election officials at the centre heard gunshots at around noon.

After scampering for safety, residents gathered courage and went to find out what was happening in adjacent toilets where the shots were fired from only to get find an Administration Police officer in a pool of blood.

Confirming the incident, Eastern Nyanza Regional AP Commander James Akoru said the deceased was assigned as security detail at the tallying centre.

“He was on duty and we are yet to establish why he decided to turn the gun against himself,” Akoru told The Standard.

Akoru said the AP constable shot himself through the head and died on the spot and his body was moved to Kisii District mortuary.

The deceased, in his early twenties, was moved to Kisii County from North Eastern six months ago.

Akoru said he could not disclose the identity of the officer who hails from Luo Nyanza since his next of kin had not been informed as is required by law. 

The commander asked members of the public to stop speculating on the reason why the officer commited suicide and give police time to conduct investigations. 

He dismissed as unfounded claims by the public that the officer was angered by the presidential poll results and opted to take away his own life. 

Akoru said Kisii OCPD Tom Mutisya would personally lead the investigations in a bid to unravel under what circumstances the officer committed suicide.

The tallying exercise was temporally halted as official came to terms with what had happened.

Cases of the disciplined officers using fire arms assigned them to take their own lives are not uncommon in the country.