A General Service Unit (GSU) officer based at the Mokowe GSU Camp in Lamu County allegedly killed his wife and a five-year-old child before taking his own life on Sunday.
Lamu County Police Commander Mr Kipsang Changach confirmed the incident, adding that it happened outside the camp within Mokowe Township.
According to Mr Changach, the murders, which are believed to have been caused by a domestic quarrel, happened at around 6:30am on Sunday.
The wife, shot multiple times, was a teacher in one of the local primary schools within Mokowe and the girl, a PP2 pupil.
“It’s an unfortunate incident that today morning, we woke up to a rude shock, learning that our officer has wiped out his family and killed himself. The GSU officer left the station unnoticed, only to discover later that he had conducted the killing. He shot his wife and child dead before taking his own life,” said Mr Changach.
Mr Changach concealed the name of the officer, adding that he would release details only when the immediate family had been notified about the death.
“He was a very dedicated officer, very young, between 28 to 30 years. He had a promising future, but it’s unfortunate that he has taken such action.
"My officers are currently at the scene of the crime. The three bodies have already been ferried to the Malindi sub-County Hospital morgue for a postmortem to be conducted and a report filed on the same. An investigation has also been launched on the same,” said Mr Changach.
Onlookers at the scene of the crime where a General Service Unit (GSU) officer allegedly killed his wife, a child before taking his own life at Mokowe Town in Lamu West on Sunday, May 11, 2025.
Photo credit: Kalume Kazungu| Nation Media group
The County Police Commander advised officers to always open up to their colleagues or senior officers about their problems.
“The officer didn’t write any notes before doing the act. His colleagues at the station also say he had not shown any signs of stress or depression.
"We’re yet to establish the motive for taking the action. My advice to police is that let’s open up whenever we face life challenges instead of taking drastic measures of killing self and harming others,” he said.
Locals interviewed by the Daily Nation at Mokowe town said the officer and the lady had been in a romantic relationship for the past year.
Mr Mohamed Yusuf, a neighbour, said they had not heard any quarrel between the GSU officer and the teacher.
“We’ve known these people as lovers for almost a year now. The woman is a primary school teacher here in Mokowe. Apart from the five-year-old child, she also has other children.
"The GSU officer used to come to the house and spend several nights with the woman before returning to the station. I am shocked that he has shot his wife and the innocent child dead and taken his life as well,” said Mr Yusuf.
Mpeketoni sub-County Hospital Psychologist Andrew Masama said work-related trauma could be part of the reasons behind police officers taking such action.
Mr Masama called on couples to be honest and open up to each other to avoid stress within the homes.
“When a man and a woman come together as husband and wife, they ought to have so many ambitions. The most crucial thing for them to do is to be honest and open to each other,” said Mr Masama.
