A police officer was killed in a shocking attack outside State House, Nairobi, after an intruder armed with a bow and arrow fatally struck him at the entrance along Dennis Pritt Road.
The deceased officer has been identified as Police Constable Ramadhan Khamisi Mattanka, who was on duty at Gate D when the incident occurred.
According to a statement from the National Police Service (NPS), the suspect, identified as 56-year-old Kinyuka Kinyumi, approached officers stationed near the gate before suddenly drawing his weapon.
“Despite being ordered to surrender, the suspect fired an arrow that struck Constable Mattanka on the left side of the chest,” police said.
Officers from the General Service Unit (GSU) swiftly subdued and arrested the attacker, preventing further casualties.
Constable Mattanka was rushed to Kenyatta National Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries while undergoing emergency treatment. His body was later moved to the hospital mortuary for post-mortem examination.
Suspect Posed as Street Dweller
Preliminary investigations reveal that the attacker had concealed the bow and arrows inside a sack, disguising himself as a member of the street families that frequent the area.
Witnesses said the man hid behind a flower bed near the gate before launching the attack on the unsuspecting officer, who was conducting routine vehicle checks.
A senior police officer close to the investigation disclosed that the suspect later claimed he had been “sent by Satan” to carry out the attack. Detectives are probing the suspect’s mental state and possible motive behind the incident.
The National Police Service has since condemned the attack, describing it as a cowardly act targeting a dedicated officer protecting a national installation.
