Police kick out wife of 'mentally ill' colleague

Lilian Achieng’, wife to police officer Charles Adao recounts how she was evicted from her house in Buru Buru. [Photo: Courtesy]

A woman who was hounded out of a police house says her husband is mentally unstable and needs help.

Lilian Achieng', whose video while being violently evicted from their house at Buru Buru police line went viral at the weekend, said yesterday she and her three children now live with her sister-in-law in Ruai. 

Achieng' said they had lived with her husband Charles Adao in the house for three years. She wondered why she was being removed from the house yet her husband was unwell.

Police, however, said Adao was no longer an officer, as he had already tendered his resignation. Buru Buru police boss Geoffrey Mayiek said Adao wrote a resignation letter on May 31, last year, and which was replied via the county commander. The letter, he said, directed the station to accept his resignation. 

“Previously, the officer’s issues were handled at the station level. The officer went absent without leave, a letter and a desertion signal were sent, a file was opened and a warrant of arrest obtained, which is still in force,” Mayiek said.

But Achieng' accused police of neglecting one of their own, who, she said, became mentally disturbed in the course of duty.

The woman said she had taken her husband to several hospitals in search of treatment. “My husband is unwell. He appears not to be of sound mind most of the time. We have even travelled to Homa-Bay in search of treatment, but this has not helped,” Achieng' said.

According to Achieng', Adao’s problems began when he was transferred from Isiolo. She said her husband behaved strangely and talked about things that did not make sense.

“When you listen to him while he speaks sometimes you would think he is not sane. He talked of how the police were killed and how he did not like it. He talked of how he wanted to leave the police force to go home and rest. He looked traumatised and I feel that he needs counselling,” she said.

Achieng' admitted that Adao had written letters to the OCPD several times asking to resign, but said she did not know what happened thereafter.