Cop allocated gun for curfew enforcement shoots wife, then kills self in evening dispute

A youthful police constable from Buuri West in Meru County on Friday, May 15 committed suicide following a domestic dispute with his wife.

Michael Siwalo allegedly shot his spouse, Silvia Ramat Letei, in the stomach at 6:15pm before turning the gun on himself and fired a bullet in his chest. The incident happened at the couple’s house in Panama area, Timau Township in Meru County.

In a report filed at Timau Police Station, Siwalo, whose service number is 116272, is said to have shot his 25-year-old partner once.

“Police proceeded to the scene and found the officer’s wife seated against the wall near the main door. She was in a lot of pain, and was bleeding [profusely],” reveals the police statement, saying Letei was taken to Nanyuki Teaching and Referral Hospital in critical condition.

“The officers [who rushed to the scene] also entered the couple’s bedroom, where they found police constable Michael Siwalo lying dead with a gunshot wound in the chest,” says the police report filed under OB Number 38/15/5/2020.

Police say the couple’s bedroom was disorganised, suggesting “there was a struggle before the shooting”.

It has been established that Siwalo had been allocated the firearm, an AK-47, with 30 rounds of ammunition at 6pm “in preparation for curfew duties”.

“The said-rifle was recovered in the bedroom with a magazine loaded with 27 rounds of ammunition and one in the chamber. Also recovered from the scene, are two cartridges,” said the police report.

The deceased was taken to Nanyuki Teaching and Referral Hospital morgue as investigations into the matter continue.