Police have launched investigations into the death of a police officer whose body was discovered inside a parked vehicle along the Machakos–Kitui Road in Mwala Sub-county, Machakos County.
The incident was reported Tuesday after members of the public alerted traffic officers on patrol about a suspiciously parked vehicle near Kikelenzu Junction in Mumoni Village, Utithini Sub-location.
Police officers responded to the scene and found a man lying motionless in the driver’s seat of a white Toyota Probox.
According to police, foam was oozing from the man’s mouth, raising suspicion that he may have ingested a toxic substance.
A search of the vehicle led to the recovery of a bottle top believed to be from a Diazinon pesticide container.
Investigators also recovered documents identifying the deceased as Police Constable Raphael Kingo’la Masesi, aged 37.
The recovered documents included his police identification card and a certificate of appointment indicating that he hailed from Kyatune area in Mutomo.
Police also found transfer documents showing that he had been moved from Mukuyuni Police Station to Kikumini Police Post in April this year.
No visible physical injuries were observed on the body.
Crime scene investigators documented the scene before the vehicle was towed to Masii Police Station.
The body was later transferred to Machakos Funeral Home, where it will undergo a post-mortem examination to establish the exact cause of death.
Police said investigations are ongoing and have notified officers at Makueni Police Station to assist in positively identifying and contacting the deceased officer’s family.
Authorities are treating the incident as a suspected suicide pending the outcome of forensic and post-mortem examinations.
Suicide is one of the leading causes of deaths in the service.
Authorities 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.
The World Health Organisation says such cases are attributed to joblessness, death, academic failures or pressures, legal difficulties and financial difficulties. Other reasons are bullying, previous suicide attempts, history of suicide in a family, alcoholism and substance misuse, depression and bipolar disorder.
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