A police officer is currently in serious condition after a suicide attempt at the Marigat Deputy County Commissioner’s (DCC) office in Baringo County.
Authorities have confirmed that the officer, a constable on night duty at the office, shot himself in the chin using his G3 rifle early Thursday morning, April 3.
The motive behind the incident remains unclear. Colleagues of the officer described him as appearing visibly disturbed in the hours leading up to the shooting.
At around the time of the incident, the officer's colleagues heard a gunshot coming from the DCC offices.
Upon investigation, they found the officer approximately 70 meters from the station, walking in uniform with a gunshot wound to his chin.
Police reports indicate that the gunshot entered his lower chin, passing through his mouth and injuring his lower jaw, consistent with an attempted suicide.
He had been assigned night guard duties at the Marigat DCC office and was issued with a G3 rifle, which he had abandoned shortly after the incident.
A subsequent search led to the recovery of the rifle about 100 meters behind the NG-CDF offices, with an empty magazine.
Additionally, one spent cartridge was found about a meter from the rifle, and 12 other cartridges of the same caliber were discovered outside the office of the National Disaster Management Authority within the DCC office building.
According to fellow officers, the constable had been restless throughout the night, and just before the shooting, he had claimed to hear people moving within the compound.
The officer was rushed to Baringo County Referral Hospital for surgery and is currently reported to be in stable condition.
This incident is part of a worrying rise in suicides among police officers.
Authorities attribute this trend to the immense stress faced by officers on the job. In response to the growing crisis, the National Police Service has introduced counseling services, and the National Police Service Commission has established a dedicated unit staffed to provide support to officers dealing with mental health challenges.
