A police officer attached to the Kisii Central Sub-County Police Headquarters was found dead on Tuesday morning in what authorities suspect was a suicide.
The deceased, identified as Corporal (W) Marjorie Bosibori, 42, a police signaller attached to the sub-county radio room, was discovered at about 8.00am inside the radio room office by a fellow officer who had gone to open the facility.
Police said the officer was found seated and unresponsive, with a gunshot wound to the chest and blood oozing from the injury. An AK-47 rifle was lying beside her body.
Senior police officers who visited the scene established that the officer had allegedly locked herself inside the office before fatally shooting herself using the rifle that had been issued to her for security duties.
According to preliminary investigations, Corporal Bosibori had collected the AK-47 rifle from the Kisii Central Police Station armoury at about 6.00pm on Monday before proceeding to provide security at Quickmart Supermarket in Kisii Town.
Crime scene investigators recovered the AK-47 rifle, one spent 7.62×39mm cartridge, a magazine loaded with 29 rounds of ammunition, the office padlock key, assorted medical drugs and three mobile phones.
Police said no suicide note was recovered during a search of her clothing. She was still dressed in full police jungle uniform when her body was found.
The scene was processed by officers from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), and the body was moved to the Kisii Teaching and Referral Hospital mortuary, where a post-mortem examination will be conducted as investigations continue.
The motive behind the suspected suicide has not yet been established.
Suicide has been on the rise in the service amid efforts to contain the trend.
Authorities say police are exposed to many forms of trauma that lead some to suicide 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.
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