Police are investigating an incident in which a senior police officer died by suicide after shooting himself in a tragic incident at the Dabel police station, Moyale, Marsabit County.
The incident happened on Tuesday night and the motive is yet to be known.
Inspector James Moturi who was the deputy Officer Commanding Station (OCS) at Dabel police station used a pistol issued to him to end his life inside his unit on July 2 at about 11 pm.
He was alone in the house at the time of the incident.
His colleagues at the station said they heard a gunshot sound from behind the report office and when they rushed to check, they found Moturi had shot himself.
He had apparently shot himself in the chin with the bullet exiting the forehead using a Ceska pistol issued to him.
The pistol with 14 bullets was found besides his body with a pool of blood caking around it.
Police said no suicide note was found at the scene.
Senior police officers visited the scene before the body was moved to the mortuary pending autopsy and other investigation.
This is the latest such incident to happen in the service amid efforts to address the trend.
The incident could be linked to trauma, which is on the rise among many police officers.
This has led them to commit murders and at times die by suicide.
Dozens of police officers have died as a result of suicide or killed many in a trend that is attributed to stress at work.
And 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.
At least three suicide cases involving police officers are recorded every month.
Officials say police are generally on the receiving end of all community problems.
They are expected to maintain law and order in very difficult situations, besides putting their lives at risk.
Over the years, a spike in deaths in the service has been linked to trauma.
They include deaths by gun.
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