- Police said they were yet to know what prompted the shooting
- There is growing concern of trauma within the service.
Image: courtesy
A police officer suspected of shooting dead his colleague in a house they shared at a police camp in Laikipia has gone missing.
Police authorities said constable Titus Keen is on the run and armed with an AK47 rifle after Tuesday night's incident at Doldol police station.
Officials said Keen is suspected to have shot and killed his colleague, Leonard Ojwang, on Tuesday, August 17, at Doldol police station.
He then made away with a loaded AK-47 rifle shortly after and is yet to be found, the authorities say. The motive is yet to be known.
The bullet-riddled body of Ojwang was found on his bed. There were about six spent cartridges of an AK47 rifle on the floor. There were bullet holes on the wooden wall of the house.
The incident adds to a growing list of cases of officers being killed by colleagues.
A similar incident was witnessed at Kasarani police quarters in Nakuru, on July 5 when corporal Caroline Kangogo fatally shot her colleague John Ogweno at a parking lot.
Kangogo, was further linked to the murder of security expert and former police officer Peter Ndigwa in Ruiru, Kiambu county.
Kangogo eluded detectives for over a month before she was found dead at her parents home in Anin, Iten, in Elgeyo Marakwet county in what was said to be suicide.
There has been growing concern about trauma within the service.
As part of efforts to address the menace, the National Police Service Commission has commissioned a counselling unit and recruited personnel to talk to the police.
On August 11, Inspector General of Police Hilary Mutyambai unveiled a counselling programme for police officers and their families.
He said officers would get psychological support to address the escalating cases of suicide and mental disorders.
"The recruited staff will be instrumental in offering psychological support to police officers and their families with a view to improving their life skills,” Mutyambai said.
According to available police statistics, there have been at least five suicide cases every month involving police officers.
The counselling unit will evaluate, design and lead an outreach programme to prevent mental health and substance abuse in the police service.
The unit and its staff will also participate in the formulation of counselling policies, regulations and strategies in conformity with the National Police Service reform agenda.
They will further participate in the implementation, interpretation and review of counselling services, policies, procedures and systems.
According to a Kenyatta University research, the major factor contributing to suicide and murder among officers in Kenya is work-related trauma.
The study found that police are generally on the receiving end of all community problems.
They are expected to maintain law and order in very difficult situations, besides putting their lives at risk as soon as they leave home every day.
It further emphasised that police officers are often in touch with extremely painful issues in the community, such as murder and rape.
Mutyambai in 2019 launched a new programme - Muamko Mpya-Healing the Uniform Initiative - to give psychological support to officers.
He said police officers, who are often exposed to trauma that creates deep emotional scars, need healing.
“The ultimate goal of the initiative is to provide officers with knowledge, tools and a framework to assist them to support each other while handling traumatic situations,” Mutyambai said.
“They encounter most of these situations on personal and professional levels.”
Edited by A.N