There was panic at the State Lodge in Eldoret when a 45-year-old woman was Sunday shot dead by a police officer.
The incident happened at the General Service Unit (GSU) Mess compound which is in State Lodge in Naiberi, Ainamoi Sub-County, Uasin Gishu County.
The assailant who is a police constable escaped the scene after the shooting, police said adding a manhunt on him was ongoing.
President William Ruto had on Saturday spent his time at the State Lodge and held a series of meetings there. It is not clear if he was present at the time of the shooting.
The incident occurred on Sunday, August 30, 2026, at around 5pm, witnesses said adding this was after an altercation between the police officer and the deceased woman.
It is not clear what triggered the argument between the two that turned fatal.
The deceased, identified as Doris Murei, was at the GSU Mess compound when she got into an argument with a police constable. She was taking alcohol then.
Police said the police officer was armed with a rifle during the confrontation and allegedly shot Murei, killing her instantly.
He is however believed to have been armed with a pistol. This is because police said they recovered spent bullets that had been fired by a pistol.
A team of officers from the Uasin Gishu County Scene of Crime Management Unit, led by County Police Commander Wilborforce Sicharani, visited and processed the scene.
He said they are investigating the fatal shooting and efforts to trace and arrest the said assailant for grilling were ongoing.
Seven spent 9mm cartridges, a Toyota Corolla 110 motor vehicle and a pistol holster were recovered at the scene and are being treated as exhibits.
The woman’s body was moved to the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital mortuary in Eldoret pending a postmortem examination.
Police said the suspect fled the scene shortly after the shooting and remained at large as of Monday morning. Other colleagues appealed to him to surrender as soon as possible.
Investigations and a manhunt for the officer are ongoing.
The incident could be linked to rising rate of trauma among police officers in the country.
Authorities say police are exposed to many forms of trauma that lead some to suicide and murder in a worrying trend.
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.
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. The government says efforts are being made to address the issue.
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