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Officer sprays 16 bullets on wife, turns gun on self

Monday, February 21st, 2022 04:02 | By
Constable Anthony Mwangi Njuguna fatally shot his wife 16 times before shooting himself. Photo/Courtesy

A Police Constable shot his wife 16 times, killing her on the spot, before turning the gun on himself in Suna West, Migori county, yesterday morning.

The 1.40am shooting is said to have taken place in the presence of the couple’s two-year-old child who was found unhurt, as he helplessly watched the bodies in the living room.

Constable Anthony Mwangi Njuguna(29), left the office at around 11pm and proceeded to his residence at Kawa junction but did not return the AK47 rifle, he had been assigned.

Senior officers rushed to his house and found his body and that of his wife Maureen Moraa Kiriago, 27, in a pool of blood.

“The deceased officer made an entry in the Occurrence Book (OB), OB43/19/2/2022 at 11.10pm indicating that he had booked off duty. He then proceeded to his residence without handing over his firearm serial number 60030673 to the officer in charge of the armoury,” a brief to police headquarters read.

Stress and trauma

Migori County Police Commander Mark Wanjala said the officers recovered the firearm with a magazine containing 13 rounds of ammunition.

“A total of 17 spent cartridges were found at the scene and it is believed he fired a total of 17 rounds,” Wanjala said.

Residents speculated the slain woman was expectant but Wanjala said he could not ascertain if she was expectant.

 A neighbour told the police he heard the two quarrel, before the gunshots. The bodies of the two were taken to Migori County Referral Hospital’s morgue.

A number of officers have died by suicide in the last few months and experts partly attribute this to stress and trauma.

On January 8, another officer identified as Constable Jacob Masha also turned the gun to himself inside his house at Makupa Police Station in Mombasa.

Preliminary investigations showed he had locked himself in the house and shot himself on the lower part of the chin.

On December 9 last year, another police officer left behind an emotional suicide note before taking his life. A day earlier, another police officer, Constable Benson Imbatu, fatally shot  his lover and five other people before turning the gun on himself in Kangemi, Nairobi.

President Uhuru Kenyatta while speaking during the passing out of 2,502 General Service Unit officers at Embakasi recently, noted that mental health was a big problem. “If you see you have a problem, please look for someone to talk to. There is nothing that cannot be resolved. We are ready to work with you,” the President said.

The police service has come up with measures to offer psychiatric support amid reports that about 12,000 officers were facing mental health challenges.

The National Police Service Commission CEO Vincent Onyango has said the service has adequate plans to support officers.

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