A bodyguard for Laikipia Governor Joshua Irungu was discovered dead in what appears to be a suicide at a rental property in Nanyuki Town.
Constable Chrispine Ochieng, who had been serving the governor since September 2022, reportedly shot himself in the mouth on the afternoon of Wednesday, January 29, with the bullet exiting through the back of his head.
According to police reports, he used his personal Ceska pistol during the incident at his apartment. His body was found slumped in a chair on the rooftop, with blood visible from his mouth and nose.
Authorities recovered a Ceska pistol containing 12 rounds, along with three spent cartridges and a ricochet bullet head from the floor. Laikipia East police chief John Tarus confirmed the incident occurred around 3 PM.
The reasons behind this tragic event remain unclear. Ochieng lived alone in the estate but had a wife and a three-month-old child back in his rural home in Nyanza.
He had taken a boda boda ride from Nanyuki town to his residence, approximately three kilometers away, instructing the rider to wait for him to return to town together. The rider reported hearing a gunshot, which led him to notify the local police.
Law enforcement officials arrived at the scene and transported the body to the mortuary for an autopsy and further investigation.
This incident adds to a troubling trend within the police force, where an average of three suicide cases involving officers is reported each month. Over the years, an increase in deaths among police personnel has been attributed to trauma, including gun-related fatalities.
Authorities emphasize that police officers globally are more likely to die by suicide than the general population, urging those dealing with trauma and mental health issues to seek assistance or share their struggles to prevent such tragedies.
