Security boss’s son fighting for his life after a failed ‘suicide’

he son of a security manager in one of Kenya’s largest companies is admitted in hospital in critical condition after he allegedly shot himself in the head on Tuesday night.

Police said the 18-year-old Form Four student took his father’s firearm from the bedroom in their Muthangari home, went to his room and shot himself in the head.

“He was rushed to Nairobi Hospital by his brother and the family’s driver who were in the living room when the teenager pulled the trigger,” police said.

The boy is admitted to hospital in serious condition, as police investigate the circumstances under which the teenager accessed the Ceska pistol, which was loaded with 11 rounds of ammunition.

Both his mother and father are outside the country. Neigbours at the Mugumo Terrace in Muthangari said the youngster had seemed okay during the day.

“I saw him yesterday in the morning knocking at their gate. I think he must have been coming from somewhere, but he was fine. We even exchanged greetings,” a neighbour said.

LICENCED FIREARM HOLDER

Dagoretti police boss Rashid Mohamed said police took the gun. He added that the investigations would establish whether the boy’s father, who is a licensed civilian firearm holder, was negligent in securing the pistol.

The incident comes just two months after a university student shot himself dead using his father’s firearm in Loresho minutes after he survived a road crash.

Brian Kagwe, 22, who was a student at United States International University was remorseful that he had caused the death of his friend in the accident that he had survived, the family said.

He is said to have pointed the gun to his chest and shot himself as his mother watched and pleaded with him not to do it.

The two incidents and several others involving licensed civilians beg the question whether firearms are well handled in Kenya.

Still on Tuesday, police in Starehe arrested another licensed gun holder, Mr Wambugu Irungu, after reporting that he had lost his firearm.

WENT OUT
Mr Irungu told police that he left the firearm in his house at 8.30pm, securely locked in a safe and went out on business but when he came back, his room had been broken into and two safes- one on the table and another one mounted on the wall had been broken. “He reported the Ceska pistol, serial number A869168 and two magazines with a total of 23 rounds of ammunition, a title deed and the firearm certificate number 7612, his passport and vehicle logbooks had been stolen,” police said.
The law requires that all firearms are kept in a safe that is only accessible to the licensed owner.

In another incident, a police officer allegedly shot his friend in a bar before turning the gun on himself, on Wednesday.

Constable Isaac Wanjala, who was stationed at Elburgon police station and his friend Mr Samuel Onsoro were drinking at Friends Club in Elburgon Town when the incident occurred. The club is owned by Mr Onsoro.

The two friends had disagreed over a Sh400 debt.

Mr Onsoro, who is now nursing severe head injuries at Nakuru Level Five Hospital, told Nation that Mr Wanjala was a regular at the club and that he rarely cleared his debts.

ORDERED SOME DRINKS
“On Wednesday (yesterday) around 2am, Wanjala came into the club and ordered some drinks. He bought me a bottle of beer and bought one for himself as well but when the waiter brought the bill, Wanjala refused to pay,” Mr Onsoro claimed.

He said he insisted that Wanjala should pay the bill but he refused.

Mr Onsoro said he called the Elburgon police boss, Mr Andrew Kivindio, who advised him to confiscate Mr Wanjala’s phone until the debt was paid.

“I took the phone and we walked out, with Wanjala hurling insults at me. He threatened that he would shoot me but I did not think he was serious,” he recalled.

Mr Onsoro said, he went with another friend to Club 50 while Mr Wanjala went to the police quarters, collected his rifle and followed them to the club where the incident occurred.

“He went to the police quarters which is about 200m away from Club 50, took his G3 rifle and followed Mr Onsoro,” claimed a source.

Molo police boss Daniel Kamanza blamed the incident on alcohol abuse. “Investigations show that the two did not have any history of arguments or strife. It was a decision purely influenced by too much alcohol intake,” Mr Kamanza said.