A female police officer attached to the Kisii Central Subcounty Police Headquarters was found dead on Tuesday morning in what authorities suspect was a suicide.
The deceased, identified as Corporal Marjorie Bosibori, 42, a police signaller attached to the subcounty radio room, was discovered at about 8 am inside the radio room office by a fellow officer who had gone to open the facility.
Police said the officer was found seated and unresponsive, with a gunshot wound to the chest and blood oozing from the injury.
An AK-47 rifle was lying beside her body.
Police officers who visited the scene established that the officer had allegedly locked herself inside the office before fatally shooting herself using the rifle that had been issued to her for security duties.
According to preliminary investigations, Corporal Bosibori had collected the AK-47 rifle from the Kisii Central Police Station armoury at about 6 pm on Monday before proceeding to provide security at a supermarket in Kisii Town.
Crime scene investigators recovered the AK-47 rifle, one spent 7.62×39mm cartridge, a magazine loaded with 29 rounds of ammunition, the office padlock key, assorted medical drugs and three mobile phones.
Police said no suicide note was recovered during a search of her clothing.
She was still dressed in full police jungle uniform when her body was found.
The body was moved to the Kisii Teaching and Referral Hospital mortuary, where a post-mortem examination will be conducted as investigations continue.
The motive behind the suspected suicide has not yet been established.
Suicide has been on the rise in the service amid efforts to contain the trend.
Authorities say police are exposed to many forms of trauma that lead some to suicide in a worrying trend.
As part of efforts to address the trend, police authorities have launched counselling services, and the National Police Service Commission has established a unit and staffed it to attend to their demanding situation.
The counselling unit, among other things, evaluates, designs and leads an outreach programme that helps prevent mental health and substance abuse.
