Cop fatally shoots girlfriend, her friend in Kitui

police line

A police officer is on the run after he shot and killed his girlfriend as she sought refuge at her friend’s house in Kanyonyoo market, Kitui County.

The police officer also shot and killed the friend of the girlfriend before escaping on foot. Police said the officer was yet to be found on Monday, August 4, after the murder, and efforts to trace him were ongoing.

This was after he dropped his AK47 rifle with 26 bullets in a thicket and escaped on foot from the small town. He and his girlfriend had quarreled before he embarked on the killing spree.

The incident occurred on Sunday, August 3, at night near a popular bar in the area, according to police and witnesses.

Revelers at the bar had called police to report a man who was donning police uniforms was roaming there while armed.

Constable Bernard Siambe of Kanyonyoo police station had earlier on been assigned duties at the report office. He was on duty and had been issued with an AK47 rifle with 30 bullets when he decided to go and look for his girlfriend who he was informed was at a bar in the nearby market.

He and the woman had earlier on quarreled over unclear reasons. While armed with the rifle, he walked from the report office to the bar where he spotted her.

Other revelers sensed danger and called police saying the officer was armed and in uniform. The girlfriend identified as Joy Mutisya sneaked out of the bar and dashed to her friend’s house near there for refuge.

The policeman pursed her there where he shot and killed her. He also shot and killed the friend who was hosting her and identified as only Judy.

The assailant escaped the scene as his colleagues approached there. He later called his bosses and informed them he had abandoned his AK47 rifle with 26 bullets in a thicket in the area as he escaped on foot, police said.

A search was staged at the said scene and the riffle was recovered in a thicket beside the road heading to Matuu, police said.

Additionally, its magazine was recovered with 26 rounds of ammunitions. Police pursued the assailant towards Matuu before he escaped immediately in the nearby thickets.

The Search is ongoing, police said ok Monday morning. Police said they recovered two spent cartridges from the scene.

The two bodies were taken to Kitui Level Five mortuary pending autopsy and other procedures. The incident could be linked to growing trauma among many police officers in the country.

As part of efforts to address the trend, police authorities have launched counselling services, and the National Police Service Commission has established a unit and staffed it to attend to their demanding situation.

The counselling unit, among other things, evaluates, designs and leads an outreach programme that helps prevent mental health and substance abuse

Officials say police are generally on the receiving end of all community problems.