The police headquarters has learnt of the death of a Police Constable attached to the Anti-Stock Theft Unit (ASTU) over a month after the family concealed his death.
The body has been lying at Life Care Hospital mortuary in Bungoma since November 12, 2023, according to a brief sent to the Administration Police Service (APS) headquarters.
The father, who is a retired police officer, refused to inform his seniors and colleagues about his son's death, saying he was embarrassed about the state of their home.
AP Constable Aaron Ogolla Nyongesa, now deceased, went on a 45-day leave from October 11 and was to resume duty on December 18. He however fell sick and died on November 12, 2023.
The father who is also a police officer retired from the service in June this year.
Following the cancellation of leave, his commander tried reaching him to direct him to report back to work but he could not be reached.
They called the father who informed them the officer fell sick while at home and was taken to Life Care Hospital in Bungoma in a critical condition.
The father was directed to report the matter to Bungoma police station so that they could send the sickness information to the headquarters.
OCS Bungoma sent a signal to the Anti-Stock Theft Unit (ASTU) on December 14. On December 15, the deputy Commandant ASTU contacted the father but the father insisted that the officer was still in hospital in a critical condition.
A senior officer was then sent to Bungoma Hospital on December 16, 2023.
“On their arrival at the hospital on December 16, 2023, they established that the late police officer had passed on on November 12 and the body was lying at the hospital’s mortuary,” the brief states.
The father and the officer’s wife then went underground but were later found in Bungoma town.
When they were asked why they were concealing their son’s death they disclosed that they feared embarrassment since they had no place to bury the body.
The father also felt it would be embarrassing if his friends, relatives and former workmates attended the funeral.
