Police officer accidentally shoots colleague dead in Gilgil

A police officer who was accidentally shot by a colleague while manning a road block on the Nairobi-Nakuru highway on Sunday evening has died.

The junior officer died on Monday morning while undergoing treatment in a Nairobi hospital following the incident near Gilgil town.

A bullet aimed at a fleeing car ricocheted and hit the officer, injuring him seriously.

Trouble started after a car with three occupants hit a paedestrian in Naivasha, seriously injuring him before fleeing the scene.

Witness Jackson Mwaura said the man was walking on the road when the car heading to Nakuru from Nairobi hit him.

“The public informed officers manning a nearby road block, and they in turn informed their colleagues in Gilgil,” he said.

On reaching Gilgil, the car was flagged down but the driver sped off, forcing one of the armed officers to open fire.

Gilgil Sub-county commissioner Ndambuki Mutheki said the bullet hit the car but ricocheted.

The was taken to a nearby hospital but his condition deteriorated.

The senior government officer said the speeding car was later blocked and the occupants arrested near Nakuru town.

“The driver was arrested and the car has been towed to Gilgil police station. The driver will be charged with several charges while an inquest file has been opened,” he said.