Police officer sets children, self on fire in Homa Bay

An Administration Police officer based in Homa Bay County committed suicide by setting herself ablaze alongside her two children inside the family kitchen.

The three could not be rescued because the police officer had locked the house from inside before dozing herself with petrol at 10am on Sunday.

Constable Judith Gallant had just returned from leave and was scheduled to resume work on Monday.

“I was informed by a junior officer that one of their colleagues had committed suicide. I rushed there only to learn that it was Judith and her two children aged four and six years,” said Micahel Mutonyi, the regional AP commandant.

Speaking to Daily Nation, Mr Mutonyi said the officer was still new at the Homa Bay station since her transfer from Kisumu two months ago.

She returned to Homa Bay from her home in Kisumu on Friday.

Her colleagues who spoke to the Nation on condition of anonymity linked the incident to a domestic conflict.

“She is relatively new here so I was not familiar with her character. All I knew is that she had gone on leave and was scheduled to resume duty tomorrow,” said the commandant.

Mr Mutonyi said they have launched a probe into the death.

“Our preliminary investigations reveal she wrote a message to a family member that she would take her own life if things are not settled amicably. We are waiting her family to settle before we start interrogating them about the death,” he said.

He urged fellow officers not to take their own lives and instead share any challenges they are facing with their colleagues for support.

The commandant said among those to be interviewed will be the constable’s husband who works with Homa Bay County government.

The bodies were moved to Homa Bay County Referral Hospital mortuary.

Editing by Obed Simiyu