A burning house in a past incident in Uasin Gishu County where a house was set ablaze (Photo-courtesy, file)
Police officers in Uasin Gishu County are trying to determine an incident in which their fellow committed suicide by locking himself inside his house and put it on fire.
The officer by the name Sammy Chirchir is said to have first locked himself up inside his house in Emkoin village, Turbo Sub-county, before setting it ablaze.
His neighbors in Emkoin Village, Turbo Sub-county- who responded to the alarm raised on Saturday morning – say they were puzzled to see a cloud of fire emanating from the officer’s house.
A neighbor, who was the first to arrive at the scene, said the inspector’s last born knocked at her house to inform her that his father had lit a mattress in their house to drive away bees.
“When I came over to inquire, I found the entire house on fire and when Chirchir noticed me, he started shouting that we leave him alone. He was moving around the house saying he was not in need of any help,” the distraught neighbor said.
Uasin Gishu fire brigade team arrived at the scene to put off the fire before police arrived to collect the remains of their late colleague that were taken to Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH) mortuary.
“We tried our best to break into the house, but the fire was intense, and before he collapsed in the blaze he kept shouting that we leave his compound to let him die in peace,” another neighbor said.
The incident happened while his wife and their firstborn were away for a church video shoot, leaving in alone at home.
Turbo Sub-county Police Commander Edward Masibo confirmed the officer was a police officer. He added that circumstances surrounding the officer’s suicide are unclear.
“The victim in question is a police officer and was formerly based here in Uasin Gishu before he was deployed to Turkana. We have launched our investigation to find out what might have prompted his suicide, but at the moment we have no conclusive information regarding the incident,” Masibo said.
Sam Oduor is the editor-in-chief at the Western Kenya Times who leverages the power of the Internet in telling stories that shape opinions.
