Crime
By Wanja Waweru
A police officer assigned to the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) field station in Oldonyiro, Isiolo North, is being treated at a nearby hospital for gunshot wounds after he allegedly shot himself twice in the neck.
Prior to turning the rifle on himself, the 33-year-old fired eight times into the air, frightening and startling a few of his stationmates who eventually managed to disarm him after the 9:30 a.m. incident.
The cop was scheduled to face disciplinary action on Wednesday due to alleged desertion of duty at his former workplace, according to Oldonyiro Assistant County Commissioner Barnabas Kimotok, who spoke to Nation.
“The KWS vehicle that was to pick him up and take him for disciplinary action had not arrived by the time he shot himself,” Mr Kimotok said.
According to reports, the officer’s marital disputes with his wife led to his mental instability.
The senior administrator said that the KWS officer had only threatened to beat up his field station coworkers and locals in Oldonyiro town center two weeks prior, allegedly out of stress.
After being stabilized at Ndugu Zangu Health Center, the injured officer was sent on to Oldonyiro Health Center.After some senior officers visited the officer in the neighborhood hospital, Mr. Kimotok confirmed to Nation that the officer was later airlifted to an undisclosed hospital.
“I cannot confirm the hospital he is being taken to but he has been airlifted from Oldonyiro,” he said on phone.
The officer was among a group of 10 deployed to the station a month ago.
Following last July’s attack at the station and killing of one KWS officer, the agency increased the number of officers from four to 10 who are rotated on a monthly basis.
