Retired police officer arrested after fatally shooting man in Machakos

Crime scene

A former senior police officer was on Monday morning arrested after he shot and killed a man in a confrontation outside a supermarket in Joska, Machakos County.

It is not clear what prompted the confrontation, which happened along Kangundo Road, police said. The victim was identified as Joseph Chege, 24 and was shot at close range in the waist, police said.

He was rushed to the hospital, where he succumbed to the injuries.

The retired officer of the rank of Chief Inspector was trailed by police to his house, where he was disarmed of his Ceska pistol loaded with 11 bullets. Police said he was a licensed gun holder.

He was later detained pending investigations as the body was moved to the mortuary pending an autopsy following the February 2, 2026, incident.

Police said they had recorded statements from witnesses of the incident and that the weapon was sent for ballistic tests as part of the probe into the same. This will among others, tell if the weapon was used in the shooting.

Meanwhile, police in Samburu, Kwale County are investigating an incident where the body of a man was found in a house after a suspected murder.

The body of the man had deep cuts on the head and lay in a pool of blood after the murder.

The motive of the murder was not known, and the body was moved to the mortuary pending an identification and autopsy.

Such murder incidents in the area have been linked to land disputes. The locals have also been targeting the elderly for murder in a worrying trend amid efforts to contain the trend, police said.

And in Passenga, Nyandarua County, a man identified as Anthony Macharia, 43, was found dead on his doorstep.

The body had injuries and was decomposing when it was discovered on Sunday, police said.

The police said the man may have been at the scene for three days. The body had blood oozing from the mouth then, and was moved to the mortuary pending an autopsy and other procedures.

No arrest had been made by Monday over the death, police said.

In Kithimu, Embu County, one Benson Mugambi, 24 was found dead in his house. The cause of the death was not immediately known, and the body was moved to the mortuary pending an autopsy.