Murang’a based policeman shoots himself inside his house
A police officer is reported to have shot himself on the head, leading to death on November 20, 2023.
Nairobi News has established the officer identified as Mr Douglas Mbugua who is a constable was found dead inside his house located within Nyakianga Police Station.
His colleagues said they heard a loud gunshot from the house of the officer and when they went to find out what had transpired they found his body on the bed.
“He was living alone in his house and had not in any way shown any signs of disturbance,” his colleagues said.
A police report reveals the officer shot himself through the mouth and the bullet exited through the read part of his head.
Three spent cartridges were recovered at the scene as police confirmed they were investigating what might have led to the officer to take his own life.
The motive of the incident is yet to be known.
His body was transferred to Kiriaini Mission Mortuary pending an autopsy.
Cases of police officers committing suicide have been on the increase in the recent past. Psychologists have attributed the incidents to stress and depression.
In the standout incident, a senior police officer died by suicide after shooting himself in the chin in Utawala, Nairobi in October 2023.
Superintendent Ezra Ouma shot himself in his house moments after he had called his friend who is also a police officer and told her he would die by suicide.
Ouma was in charge of the special operations bureau at Kayole police division.
The government recently announced most of civil servants were struggling with mental health conditions.
Public Service Principal Secretary Amos Gathecha said there was a rise in cases of absenteeism from government officers which also affected service delivery.
He attributed this to depression and use of alcohol adding that the number of civil servants in need of counseling has risen from 5,000 to 13,000 in the last one year.
Gathecha identified uniformed officers as the most affected with the National Police Service and the Prison department leading in the number of depressed officers.
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