NAIROBI, Kenya, May 25 – A policeman committed suicide on Sunday night after shooting two of his colleagues dead in Meru County.
One of those he killed is a senior police officer who held the rank of Chief Inspector at the General Service Unit (GSU), while the second is a junior officer whom he had claimed was his estranged wife. He confronted them at about 11pm on Sunday night at a bar in Mutaiti area of Igembe North.
“The information we received from witnesses is that the man walked in and opened fire at the two, after claiming that the woman was his wife although they had separated,” said Wilfred Nyagwanga, the region’s County Commissioner.
The officer is reported to have first opened fire on his estranged girlfriend before he shot at the Chief Inspector, killing them instantly.
He then turned the gun on himself, blowing off his head and sending patrons in the bar scampering for safety.
Cases of police officers opening fire at colleagues after disagreements are common in Kenya, with authorities often attributing them to stress at work.
Igembe North police Chief Cornelius Sing’oei said they have launched an investigation to ascertain circumstances that led to the shootings.
It is believed that the Chief Inspector had been having an affair with the junior officer’s estranged wife.
“That is one of the aspects the investigators will be looking at, but for now we don’t want to speculate,” he said.
There were no immediate reports of where the Chief Inspector and policewoman were based , but police have confirmed that the killer police officer was attached to Laari Police Station in Igembe North.
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