An Administration Police officer is alleged to have shot and killed his partner before taking his own life at their residence in Kimbimbi, Kirinyaga County.

The officer, who was attached to Mwea East Sub-County, lived with the woman in police housing, where she also operated a shop at the nearby trading centre.

According to Mwea East Sub-County Police Commander Stephen Okal, the incident was discovered after fellow officers went to the house to collect firearms. After receiving no response despite repeated knocks, they looked through a window and spotted the woman's body in the bedroom. Officers then forced their way into the house and found the 56-year-old officer dead in the sitting room.

Preliminary investigations indicate the officer fired five rounds, fatally shooting his partner before turning the firearm on himself.

Residents described the couple as friendly and well-known in the neighbourhood, expressing shock over the incident. Police believe neighbours may not have heard the gunshots because the house was surrounded by dense vegetation.

Authorities have informed the families of both the officer and the deceased woman, while detectives have launched investigations to determine the circumstances surrounding the tragedy. The bodies were moved to Kerugoya Hospital Mortuary pending further investigations.