‘Depressed’ police officer commits suicide in Tala

A police officer attached to Tala Police post committed suicide by hanging himself on a tree branch in the outskirts of Tala town, Friday evening.

Constable Andrew Kiplimo, who is reported to have been undergoing treatment for depression at Kangundo Level 4 hospital psychiatric section, used a t-shirt he was wearing to hang himself at around 5 pm.

A police source said the deceased’s wife and another officer had held a meeting with the late Kiplimo at the Police post, two hours before the incident.

They were imploring him to quit excessive alcohol drinking. 

“The officer left the station while still calm but went ahead and hanged himself near Katine quarry using his red t-shirt. No suicide note was found on him,” the source said.

Hi body was moved to the Kangundo Level 4 hospital mortuary.

The incident came barely a day after Machakos County Executive committee member for Health, Ancent Kituku, revealed the health department had launched a probe into the increasing cases of suicide in the county.

“Last week, six men were admitted to hospital after suicide attempt using organophosphate poison. Our mental health team has been activated and dispatched to carryout counseling to reverse the trend,” Dr Kituku said.