Police officer kills partner, turns gun on self in Kirinyaga

The officer, who was based in Mwea East Sub-County, lived with the woman at his station house. She was well known in the area, where she ran a shop in the trading centre.

According to Mwea East Sub-County Police Commander Stephen Okal, the incident came to light when fellow officers went to the station house to collect firearms. After knocking repeatedly with no response, they looked through a window and saw the woman's body in the bedroom.

Okal said officers immediately alerted the Mwea East Administration Police Commander, who rushed to the scene. When they forced the door open, they found the 56-year-old officer dead in the sitting room.

Preliminary findings indicate the officer fired five shots, hitting his partner four times in the chest before shooting himself once in the neck.

Residents who gathered at the scene described the officer as friendly and well liked, having lived in the area for some time. Some recalled seeing him guarding banks in Ngurubani.

"I used to buy items from his wife's shop. They were very friendly. The lady comes from Difathas and they had been together for three years. We wonder what went wrong," said Stella Wangui, a Kimbimbi resident.

Officers said neighbours may not have heard the gunshots because the house is surrounded by overgrown trees and thick branches.

Mwea East AP Commander Hassan said relatives of the officer from Kiambu County and those of the woman from Kirinyaga County had been notified.

"I am consoling them. They have already arrived from Kiambu County," Hassan said.

Okal confirmed that detectives from Mwea East have launched investigations to establish what led to the tragedy.

"The two bodies have been moved to Kerugoya Hospital mortuary as detectives continue with investigations," he said.