Tragedy Strikes: Officer Shoots Bar Owner, Then Ends His Own Life

A police officer has died while a female bar owner remains in critical condition following a shooting incident at a local bar in Naivasha, Nakuru County.

The incident occurred on the night of Wednesday, January 1, 2026, sending shockwaves through the town and prompting investigations by senior security agencies.

According to a police report filed at Kongoni Police Station, officers responding to the scene found two individuals lying outside the establishment with serious injuries.

The incident was initially reported by Corporal Bakari Juma, the officer in charge of Kachuma Police Post, after residents alerted authorities to gunshots at the premises.

Preliminary findings indicate that the officer involved, Corporal Collins Kochei, who was attached to Tangi Tano Police Post under Munanda Police Station in Gilgil Sub-county, allegedly shot the bar’s owner, identified as Lucy Wanjiru Njoroge, aged 34.

The woman sustained multiple gunshot injuries and collapsed outside the bar as patrons fled in panic.

Also Read: Nairobi County Reveals Possible Cause of 16-Storey Building Collapse in South C

Victims Rushed to Hospital

Following the shooting, the officer is reported to have turned the firearm on himself.

Both the officer and the injured woman were rushed to Nakuru Provincial General Hospital by a good Samaritan.

Corporal Kochei was pronounced dead upon arrival, while Ms Njoroge was admitted in serious condition.

She is currently undergoing specialized treatment.

Senior officers from Kongoni Police Station, alongside personnel from the Sub-county Criminal Investigations Office, visited the scene shortly after the incident.

The area was cordoned off and processed by investigators as part of efforts to reconstruct the events leading up to the shooting.

The body of the deceased officer was later transferred to the Nakuru Provincial General Hospital mortuary, where it is being preserved pending a post-mortem examination.

Detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) in Naivasha have since launched a full probe to establish the circumstances and possible motive behind the incident.

Also Read: Nairobi County Reveals Possible Cause of 16-Storey Building Collapse in South C

Separate Killing Sparks Protests in Dundori

The Naivasha shooting comes against the backdrop of heightened insecurity in parts of Nakuru County.

In a separate incident, a middle-aged man was arrested in connection with the killing of a 20-year-old man in Dundori, Bahati Sub-county, on New Year’s Eve.

The arrest followed demonstrations by residents, who lit bonfires along the Nakuru–Olkalou Road to protest the killing of Hosea Kariuki, who was reportedly stabbed while in the company of friends.

The protests disrupted traffic for hours as residents demanded justice.

One resident, Samson Gachomo, expressed frustration over the incident, saying, “Our young man called Hosea has died, we have not received any justice; let us see action so that the person who killed him is arrested.”

Another resident, Peter Waweru, criticized security operations in the area, stating, “We see that nothing is being done; there should be a reshuffle of the police officers, they should just leave.”

Follow our WhatsApp Channel and WhatsApp Community for instant news updates

Police vehicle at crime scene. PHOTO/File