Police officer collapses, dies in bank

A police officer guarding Equity Bank, Makutano branch in Meru town collapsed and died Tuesday afternoon causing panic among staff and residents.

North Imenti police boss Robinson Mboloi said the officer collapsed in a washroom inside the bank at around 12.30pm.

“The officer was on duty when he suddenly died at the bank. The cause of death is yet to be established and the body was removed to the Meru Level Five Hospital mortuary.

The officer was reportedly unwell in the morning and had vomited before he died.

There was panic after the bank hall was cordoned off by the county Covid-19 surveillance team who picked the body while wearing personal preventive equipment.

The body was picked about two hours after the officer passed on due to Covid-19 precautions. 

Meru public health director John Inanga said they were called in to collect the body as a precautionary measure since the officer’s death could not be explained.

 “Due to the coronavirus pandemic, people are afraid of coming in contact with a body. This is why we had to be called in to collect the body,” Dr Inanga said.

The bank was later fumigated by public health officers.

Meanwhile, police in Kiirua, Buuri East are on the spot for failing to collect the body of an unidentified man who was found dumped in the thicket two days ago.

Mr Nteere Mbui, a resident of Maili Kumi said the body was spotted on Sunday at Nkunga forest along the Ruiri-Kiirua road.

By Tuesday afternoon, the decomposing body of the partially naked man was still lying in the bush.

“We have informed the police and local administrators but the body has not been picked. The police have been patrolling Maili Kumi market but they did not come to check,” Mr Mbui said.

They also attributed the delays by police to collect the body on the Covid-19 pandemic protocols.