A police officer attached to the Presidential Escort Unit (PEU) has been found dead at his residential quarters in Juja, Kiambu County, in an incident that authorities are investigating as a suspected suicide.
The deceased, identified as Police Constable Dennis Kibet Cheruiyot, was discovered on Wednesday morning inside his house within the PEU residential lines with a gunshot wound to the chin.
Preliminary police investigations indicate the fatal injury is believed to have been self-inflicted.
Senior police commanders and forensic investigators responded to the scene, where they documented evidence and recovered the officer’s service-issued Jericho pistol loaded with 14 rounds of ammunition.
Detectives also recovered a three-page handwritten note from a table inside the house. According to preliminary findings, the note detailed the officer’s personal struggles and contained what appeared to be his final wishes.
Authorities have not released the contents of the note as investigations remain ongoing.
After processing the scene, the body was moved to the Kenyatta University Teaching, Referral and Research Hospital (KUTRRH) mortuary, where a post-mortem examination is expected to be conducted.
The incident adds to a growing number of cases involving police officers whose deaths are being investigated as suspected suicides.
On Tuesday, a female police officer based in Kisii County was also found dead in an incident that investigators are treating as a suspected suicide.
Police say investigations into the circumstances surrounding Constable Cheruiyot’s death are ongoing.
If Dennis Kibet Cheruiyot’s death was a suicide, it may be upsetting to read about. If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of suicide or overwhelming emotional distress, reaching out to trusted family, friends, a mental health professional, or local emergency services can help. Support is available, and seeking help is an important step.
