Police in Kitui are searching for an officer who allegedly shot and killed two women, including his girlfriend, at a bar in Kanyonyoo market on Sunday night.
The officer, based at Kanyonyoo Police Station in Yatta, Kitui County, fled with an AK-47 rifle issued to him earlier that evening.
Investigators say the officer argued with one of the women, Joy Mutisya, believed to be his lover. He pulled out his service weapon and shot her. The situation escalated fast, according to witnesses at the bar.
He then shot a second woman who tried to intervene. Both women died on the spot. The officer escaped immediately after, causing panic in the area.
Mutisya reportedly tried to run, but the officer chased her. He shot and killed her inside the house of a woman named Janet Ndanu. He also fired at the other woman, Judy, whose full name and age remain unknown.
“The incident happened around 10 pm. They were together, then a disagreement broke out and all hell broke loose,” said Vincent Nadmuki, a resident of Kanyonyoo.
Locals expressed anger. They blamed the police for not handling internal misconduct.
“This isn’t the first time. How many more people must die before the police act?” asked another resident.
They called for swift action and described the incident as another case of police brutality and extrajudicial violence.
On Monday morning, officers launched a multi-agency operation to find the suspect. DCI officers from Lower Yatta and Kitui visited the scene and recovered three spent 7.62mm cartridges.