State should address police officers' mental health to protect lives

President William Ruto inspecting Guard of Honour during the 49th General Service Unit Passing out Parade, Embakasi, Nairobi County. [PCS]

Recently, a police officer attached to Langata Police station shot a colleague's wife and girlfriend dead before turning the gun on himself. The assistant chief alluded to internal issues in the camp where the officer lived. The tragic incident is the latest case of police murder-suicides that have become rampant in the past few years. According to 2021 National Police Service (NPS) statistics, between 2016 and 2020, 65 cases of murder and 57 cases of suicide were recorded within the service.

This indicates an average of 13 murders and 11 suicides per year. Nakuru County recorded the highest number of five cases, followed by Nairobi and Mandera with four. The data suggests that these incidences are evenly spread between urban, rural and far-flung areas.