A police officer attached to a Member of Parliament died after allegedly shooting himself in the head at his home in Embakasi, Nairobi.
Constable Austin Owiti Oyuech Shariff, an Administration Police officer assigned to the close protection unit, allegedly shot himself in the head on Thursday morning.
The motive for the shooting has yet to be determined. Police said they are looking into the incident.
Shariff, 43, is a former bodyguard for several government officials and is currently guarding Embakasi West Member of Parliament Mark Mwenje.
He is said to have shot himself, despite the fact that those close to him claimed he showed no signs of distress.
Mwenje stated that he was aware of the incident and that they are investigating to learn more.
“It is sad this happened, and we are investigating the same,” Mwenje said.
Shariff, who was on leave, spent the majority of Wednesday with his friends in the neighbourhood, where they drank before heading home at night.
The officer awoke as usual before allegedly grabbing his gun and shooting himself.
The body was picked up by police and taken to the mortuary pending an autopsy and other procedures.
Shariff will be laid to rest at his parents’ home in Seme, Kisumu County, on Friday, September 20, in accordance with his Muslim faith.
This is the service’s most recent incident of this nature. Many people believe this is related to their stress.
Dozens of police officers have died by suicide or were killed as a result of work-related stress.
As part of efforts to address the trend, police authorities have launched counselling services, and the National Police Service Commission has established and staffed a unit to handle their difficult situation.
The counselling unit will, among other things, evaluate, design, and lead an outreach program aimed at preventing mental health and substance abuse.
Each month, at least three police officers commit suicide. Officials claim that police are generally on the receiving end of all community issues.
They are expected to maintain law and order in extremely difficult situations, despite putting their lives in danger.
Trauma has been linked to an increase in service-related deaths over time. They include gun-related deaths.
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