Probe as police officer shoots senior colleague dead

The suspect, a police constable, shot the sergeant under unclear circumstances. [iStockphoto]

The police in Nakuru are investigating an incident where an officer shot and killed his colleague on Tuesday morning.

It was not immediately clear why the officer killed his senior colleague during the incident at the Rift Valley Regional K9 Unit (Dog Section) headquarters in Nakuru East, according to county police commander Samuel Ndanyi.

"We received a report around 5 am from an police officer who heard a gunshot within Dog Section. At the scene, we found that one officer had been shot dead by his junior colleague," said Ndanyi.

The police boss said the suspect, a police constable, shot Sergeant Christopher Kimeli under unclear circumstances.

"It is still unclear what led to the shooting. The police constable shot dead his supervisor Sergeant Kimeli from the back, killing him on the spot," Ndanyi said adding that the suspected assailant was immediately disarmed and is being held at the Nakuru Central Police Station.

Some colleagues feel the two may have had personal differences.

"The motive of the shooting remains unclear but we are investigating the matter. The suspect was on duty. Sergeant Kimeli had just signed out to leave the duty station when he was shot dead," said Ndanyi.

The incident comes at a time when there have been rising concerns over the mental wellness of police officers and Kenyans in general.