Kenyan soldier shoots his girlfriend dead, commits suicide

A Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) soldier shot and killed his girlfriend before turning the gun on himself. 

The soldier identified as Emmanuel Walugu Onyango shot himself on the chin with an AK-47 rifle while dressed in full military combat.

This is after he had sprayed the body of Ms Immaculate Mwende Mwirigi with bullets in what police believe to be a case of love gone sour.

The bodies of the two were found in an apartment in Nanyuki town where they reportedly lived together. 

A resident of an apartment alerted police that she had heard gunshots near her neighbour’s house at around 9:30pm on Friday, October 7, 2022. 

Laikipia County Criminal Investigation Officer (CCIO) Mr Onesmus Towett, who confirmed the incident on Friday, said police officers rushed to the scene but found the door of the house locked from inside.

The officers were then forced to break into the house where they found the two bodies lying on the floor.  Immaculate was was already dead having been shot at close range.

They rushed Mr Onyango to Nanyuki Teaching and Referral Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

“The officer was on duty just before the incident took place, he then went ahead and asked for permission to go for supper at 6pm during which he went to meet Ms Mwirigi,” said Mr Towett.

The motive of the incident is yet to be known. The bodies were moved to a local morgue pending probe.

A review of Immaculate’s social media shows that she had been dating the soldier probably from last year.

On his part, Emmanuel had made a post suggesting suicide way back in September of 2013, around the same time he had Osama bin Laden as his profile picture.

Details are scanty on when he joined the military.