Tragedy struck a police camp in Lang’ata, Nairobi when a junior police officer killed two women before turning the gun on himself.
Corporal Mark Mulanda of Langata police station first killed his colleague’s wife before he pulled the trigger on his own girlfriend and later killed himself in his house, police said.
The deceased women were identified as Fiona Chepkoech, 37, wife to the deceased’s colleague and Rhoda Machuma Chepchumba, 28, who was his (Mulanda) girlfriend.
Police who visited the scene on Sunday, March 5 at Mugumoini camp said Mulanda shot at Fiona two times while Rhoda had seven bullets.
Fiona, a neighbor to the couple, was apparently shot at after she came out of her house to establish the problem in Mulanda’s house.
“This was after she heard a commotion from the house,” police said.
This irked Mulanda who stepped out and shot at her two times before going back to the house and locked himself. He pulled the trigger on the girlfriend and later on him.
Fiona’s husband had traveled out of the city to attend a colleague’s funeral. He arrived home to find the tragedy.
Mulanda had been assigned night duties in the area before he excused himself saying he was going to pick up a jacket from his house.
He had earlier on been heard talking to his girlfriend on the phone.
Police suspect Mulanda had a grudge to grind and had planned the murder and suicide.
According to officers who responded to the scene, the officer died due to a self-inflicted gunshot that entered his neck from the front and exited from the back.
His colleagues said he had appeared troubled recently.
Langata sub-county police commander Monica Kimani who visited the scene said they are yet to establish the motive of the incident.
The three bodies were moved to the city mortuary pending further investigations.
The incident could be linked to increasing cases of suicide within the service, which have been associated with trauma.
Officials say trauma is the main reason for such behaviour.
According to Kenyatta University research, the primary factor contributing to suicide and murder among police officers in Kenya is work-related trauma.
The study found out that police are generally at the receiving end of all community problems.
They are expected to maintain law and order in tough situations.
They put their lives at risk as soon as they leave home every day.
Police officers are often in touch with excruciating issues in the community such as murder and rape, which stresses them. The stress can be passed to immediate members of the family.
Police had in 2019 launched a new programme dubbed Muamko Mpya-Healing the Uniform Initiative to give psychological support to officers.
Officials said police officers, who are often exposed to trauma that creates deep emotional scars, need healing.
A counseling centre has been launched in the service.