It has emerged that Police Constable Benson Imbatu, the officer who killed six people in Kabete on Tuesday, December 7, 2021, before turning the gun on himself was under investigation for murder.
Friends close to the officer have since revealed that he was being probed by the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) for murder.
According to the friends, Imbatu was under investigation after he was implicated in the murder of Nicholas Lifedi in mid-2021.
File image of a Kenyan police officer holding a gun. |Photo| Courtesy|
His colleagues revealed that the officer feared he would be found guilty in the case after preliminary investigations revealed that his gun was used to kill Lifedi.
A colleague who spoke to a local daily stated that Imbatu might have opted to end his own life for fear of being sent to prison.
"Most officers dread going to prison. Imagine being in the same facility with people you put in," he said.
Following the shooting spree on Tuesday, IPOA have since launched in investigations into the tragic incident.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Dr Fred Matiang'i stated that the incident may have been provoked by a disagreement between Imbatu and his wife only identified as Carol.
Matiang'i directed detectives probing the matter to expedite the process and issue the public with results with three days.
"When a matter like this happens, the responsible thing to do is to come together, investigate the matter and find out what exactly happened," the CS stated.
He further stated that the police force had stepped up the drive to have servicemen and women undergo counselling.
