Editor's Review

The suspect claimed his colleague shot himself, but later switched off his phone and took off from the scene leading to suspicision.

Police in Vihiga County have launched a manhunt for a police officer who fatally shot his colleague in the head on Friday dawn, August 21.

The suspect, Kevin Omondi, is said to have attacked his colleague while on duty at the Esirabe fertiliser depot.

Preliminary probe indicated that the suspect shot Nicholas Samoei on the head with the round piercing through the back of the head.

At first, the suspect claimed the deceased shot himself, but later switched off his phone and took off.

Omondi left his firearm at the scene.

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The incident was confirmed by Vihiga Sub-County Police Commander Richard Siele.

"Members of the public notified us that they heard gunshots but didn't know what was going on. After our investigation, we discovered that an officer was shot in the forehead to the back of the head. We recovered two firearms of both officers," said Siele.

Vihiga Sub-County Police boss Richard Siele.

The deceased's body was ferried to the Vihiga County Referral Hospital mortuary as the police embarked on their investigations.

Siele called on members of the public to volunteer information that will help trace the suspect.

The incident came weeks after Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen announced measures to enhance the wellness of the police after cases of mental challenges among officers.

In a policy directive he issued last month, the CS noted the importance of officers being assessed before being deployed to their various stations of work.

In his communique addressed to the Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja, the CS directed that the deployment of officers be structured while considering an officer's individual temperament, their personal disposition, and mental state.

He suggested that officers with mental challenges be spared from heavy operations and firearms.

The directive came in light of tragic interactions between police officers.

Many a time, cases have been reported of the law enforcers brutally turning against their colleagues or even partners in their camps.

Poor remuneration, uncondusive camps and poor working conditions have been cited among the contributors of mental challenges among police officers.