The police in Nairobi’s Langata Sub-County are investigating an incident where a police officer, Mark Mulanda, allegedly shot dead his girlfriend and a colleague’s wife before turning the gun on himself.
According to a police report filed on Sunday, March 5, at Langata Police Station under OB number 54/5/3/2023, the colleague’s spouse who was shot in the incident was responding to a distress call when she met her untimely death.
The deceased women were identified as Fiona Chepkoech, 37, wife to the deceased’s colleague and Rhoda Machuma Chepchumba, 28, who was his (Mulanda) girlfriend.
Police who visited the scene on Sunday, March 5 at Mugumoini camp said Mulanda shot at Fiona two times while Rhoda had seven bullets.
Fiona, a neighbor to the couple, was apparently shot at after she came out of her house to establish the problem in Mulanda’s house.
This irked Mulanda who stepped out and shot at her two times before going back to the house and locking himself. He pulled the trigger on the girlfriend and later on him.
Fiona’s husband had traveled out of the city to attend a colleague’s funeral. He arrived home to find the tragedy.
Mulanda had been assigned night duties in the area before he excused himself saying he was going to pick up a jacket from his house.
He had earlier on been heard talking to his girlfriend on the phone.
According to officers who responded to the scene, the officer died due to a self-inflicted gunshot that entered his neck from the front and exited from the back.
His colleagues said he had appeared troubled recently.
The three bodies were moved to the city mortuary pending further investigations.
Officials say trauma is the main reason for such behavior.
Cases of police officers killing their loved ones and colleagues or committing suicide have been on the rise prompting action from the office of Second Lady Dorcas Gachagua.
In January 2023, Dorcas committed to supporting the welfare of police officers by organizing mass weddings and prayers for them.
Speaking after meeting the Inspector General of Police Japhet Koome, the Second Lady emphasized the need to instill and cultivate family values in the officers who may have been stressed or depressed while in their line of work.
