A police officer stationed at Ng’ombeni Patrol Base in Kwale County was killed by a group of angry youth after he attempted to use weapons to attack a family in the Ziwani area.

According to a police report obtained by Citizen Digital, Police Constable Titus Gaya is said to have left his station unnoticed and went to the house belonging to Mwanaisha Ali at around 11:00 a.m. on Thursday.

After gaining access to the house, the officer attempted to attack the family using bows and arrows, causing fear and panic among Ali’s relatives, who were surprised to find a stranger at their premises.

Moments later, Mwanaisha raised an alarm, which alerted nearby residents who rushed to her house and managed to subdue the officer.

The report indicated that the officer was subjected to a severe attack by the mob and succumbed to his injuries.

Other officers stationed in Kwale were alerted about the incident and rushed to the scene, finding Gaya’s body lying on the floor.

Upon conducting preliminary investigations, police discovered that the deceased had recently developed mental health problems.

The incident highlights the worrying trend of mental health issues among police officers. Data revealed by the National Police Service Commission (NPSC) indicates that at least 12,000 officers suffer from mental health-related problems, mainly due to their work environment.

To address the crisis, the NPSC launched counselling sessions to ensure the officers receive personalized attention to their needs. As of June 2023, the NPSC reported that 25,879 officers have received counselling as part of these initiatives.