Nakuru policeman shoots, kills boss 'after dispute over duty allocation'
Nakuru County Police Commander Samuel Ndanyi addressing journalists in his office.
Detectives in Nakuru are investigating an incident in which a police officer allegedly shot and killed his colleague following an altercation on Tuesday morning.
Nakuru County Police Commander Samuel Ndanyi said the incident occurred early Tuesday at the Rift Valley Regional K-9 Police Unit headquarters in Nakuru City where the officers were on duty.
The police boss said the officer, Jackson Konga, who is believed to have shot his senior Sergeant Christopher Kimeli, was disarmed and arrested.
"The two police officers were on duty at the Rift Valley Regional K-9 police unit headquarters when the junior officer allegedly ambushed his colleague and shot him from behind," Mr Ndanyi revealed.
"The officer used a Ceska pistol to shoot his colleague and has since been disarmed and detained at Nakuru Central Police Station to assist in investigations into the incident."
It was not clear why the officer killed his colleague or what the argument was about.
However, a senior police officer told the Nation that it could have been a dispute over work distribution.
" Sergeant Christopher Kimeli was Constable Jackson Konga's supervisor at the K-9 police unit. Both were on duty but Kimeli had signed off and was ready to go and pick up his child from school. He was the duty officer at the police unit and the two must have disagreed over the allocation of duties before the incident," the police officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter, revealed.
Lodged in the chest
"He ambushed him and shot him from the back and the bullet that killed him is still lodged in thechest."
The body has been taken to Nakuru Level Five Hospital mortuary for post-mortem.
The incident comes at a time when suicides and murders are on the rise across the country, with some of the victims and offenders being police officers.
Cases of suicides and attacks by officers on their colleagues and family members have increased in the recent past, raising concerns about their mental health.
In August 2021, for example, a police officer in Nakuru County shot and killed his girlfriend, who had been hospitalised after he injured her.
The officer took his own life after killing the 29-year-old woman.
The officer, Bernard Kivo, who was based at Njoro police station, allegedly followed the woman to the hospital where she was being treated after he assaulted her and shot her.
The incident came days after another police officer based in Olenguruone collapsed and died after visiting his girlfriend.
In June 2021, Corporal Caroline Kangogo's body was found at her parents' home in Nyawa village, Elgeyo-Marakwet County, days after she allegedly shot and killed two men, including a police officer, in Nakuru.
Kangogo was reportedly found dead in a bathroom with a gun.
She had allegedly shot dead Constable John Ogweno and Kiambu businessman Peter Ndwiga about a week earlier.
The Service has been forced to review policies and regulations on promotions, transfers and discipline, which have been cited as major triggers of mental breakdown among officers.
Last year, the National Police Service, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, set up the Special Medical Board to help assess sick officers, those suffering from depression and security personnel injured in the line of duty.
