A General Service Unit (GSU) officer attached to Interior CS Fred Matiangi’s office has died in a shooting incident.
In a statement, Inspector general of police Hillary Mutyambai said officer Hudson Wakise shot his wife, Pauline Wakasa who was a traffic officer attached to Kilimani Police Station on Tuesday at around 5 pm.
According to the IG, preliminary reports show that theirs was a domestic squabble.
Wakise fatally shot Wakasa before turning the gun on himself, the IG said.
PRESS STATEMENT
TRAGIC DEATH OF TWO POLICE OFFICERS pic.twitter.com/xsWQo8ewKS
— National Police Service-Kenya (@NPSOfficial_KE) April 7, 2021
“Wakise, who had been off duty since April 1, reported back to work on April 6 but left at 3 pm and went home near the GSU camp in Ruaraka,” said Mutyambai.
The Nation however indicates that the deceased persons lived together at the GSU Camp but Wakise moved out last Saturday.
It is said that they fought over her moving out with their two children aged five and two.
Witnesses said Wakise got home at around 9 pm when a fight ensued prompting him to leave. He later returned and shot his wife eight times in the chest. She was still in her uniform when the incident took place.
He would later shoot himself through the chin.
CS Matiang’i mourned the couple as “young and vibrant” officers.
“I am deeply pained by the tragic incident involving PC Hudson Wakise and his wife PC Pauline Wakasa both young and vibrant Police officers with brilliant futures tragically ended in their shocking demise,” the CS tweeted.
“It’s a rude awakening to psychosocial challenges amongst some of our young officers that we have no choice but to now pay greater attention to. My sincere condolences to their families and friends.”
Psychological challenges have been identified as a major contributor to increased suicide cases among police officers.
In January, the National Police Service (NPS) identified the limited supervision among junior cops living outside the camps as one of the reasons for the spike in suicide cases.
“Stagnation in rank, disciplinary actions arising from desertion and inadequate monitoring of junior officers leaving outside police lines are among causes of stress in officers identified,” a statement from the commission read.
It was also agreed that counselling among officers was essential.
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