Policeman Kills Two Before Taking Own Life in Elgeyo Marakwet County

An Administration Police officer named Evans Kimutai travelled over 300 kilometres from his post at Todonyang Police Post in Turkana North to the Cherangani Forest Station in Elgeyo Marakwet County, where his girlfriend, a forest ranger, was stationed.

Upon arriving at the forest station, Kimutai opened fire on the Kenya Forest rangers, resulting in the deaths of two officers and injuring one before ultimately turning the gun on himself, ending his own life at the doorstep of the forest station manager. The devastating aftermath of the shooting left three lifeless bodies at the scene, all bearing the marks of the gunfire. The injured forest officer, identified as Monica Kilonzi, sustained serious wounds to her upper right hand and right chest. She was swiftly transported to the hospital for emergency medical treatment. The bodies of the deceased were also taken to the hospital for further examination.

Tragically, the night guard at the station lost his life while attempting to alert three female officers of the impending danger. He met his untimely demise at the doorstep, where two of the female officers were enjoying a meal after attending Madaraka Day commemorations at the Kapsoar Sub County headquarters earlier that day. The two forest officers killed in the incident have been identified as Abdallah Dzabo Kitolle, aged 22, and Marion Jerono, aged 20. Abdalla Kitolle's young wife, Fatuma Omar, shares that her husband had only been employed at the station for approximately two years. In her grief, she expresses, "Abdalla was so caring and loving. He truly loved me and our 10-month-old son."

The station manager narrowly escaped the attack, as it appeared that the assailant's intention was to kill not only his girlfriend but anyone who crossed his path. Authorities recovered an AK-47 rifle from the crime scene, along with three fully loaded magazines, each containing 30 rounds of ammunition. The shocking incident left the Kapcherop Centre, where the forest station is situated, in a state of profound shock and disbelief. Both the forest officers and local residents struggled to comprehend the tragic events that had transpired. Elgeyo Marakwet County Police Commander Peter Mulinge reveals that the heavily armed officer had opened fire indiscriminately before taking the lives of the two KFS officers and injuring the third ranger. Mr Mulinge also discloses that the assailant and his girlfriend had been engaged in ongoing disputes, prompting law enforcement officials to request that the perpetrator be barred from entering the forest facility. It was noted that the assailant's girlfriend was not present at the forest station during the incident.

Local leaders are urging young people to seek professional help when faced with relationship challenges, rather than resorting to violence. Area resident William Kimaiyo describes the incident as unfortunate and emphasizes the need for the government to ensure that individuals joining disciplined forces are of high integrity. He expresses the immense pain felt by parents and residents, given that the suspected perpetrator was a well-known young man in the community. In response to the tragedy, the National Chief Conservator of Forests Alex Lemarkoko accompanied by senior KFS officers and a security team, today visited the site to assess the crime scene and offer condolences to the families of the deceased officers. Lemarkoko had to travel from Nairobi upon learning of the devastating loss of two young officers at the hands of a police officer from Turkana North.