A General Service Unit (GSU) officer who was stationed at State House was killed in an icy bow-and-arrow assault committed by a civilian on Monday, October 13.
The assault occurred near State House Gate D, an area set aside for clearing vehicles and individuals into the compound.
The officer, who was operating in conjunction with other officers, was reportedly struck in the chest by an arrow.
The attacker, estimated to be in his 50s, is said to have approached the security personnel disguised as a street person. He supposedly carried a large sack with him in which he had stashed the weapon.
Two of the police officers were said to have been distracted a second before the attack by a car being cleared at the gate, and the man had a moment of opportunity to attack. The arrow hit the left chest of the officer.
The attack, according to sources, happened when President William Ruto was about to leave State House to undertake a scheduled tour of Konza City in Machakos County.
The injured officer was rushed to Kenyatta National Hospital but died from the injuries while undergoing treatment.
The suspect was quickly overpowered and arrested by the other officers in the scene. The officers, according to reports, briefly considered shooting the man but chose to arrest him for interrogation.
The suspect, according to police, later stated that he had been “sent by Satan” to carry out the attack.
The brutal incident follows just a day after another GSU officer was shot dead by a civilian at a hotel along the Mombasa Road.
In a police report, the officer, who was deployed to man the JKIA perimeter fence, had proceeded to the hotel to charge his phone when he engaged in a fight with another man.
A supervising manager at a hotel told police he saw the suspect strangle the officer and flee.
The officer’s body was later found in a nearby trench filled with water.
Police launched investigations into both incidents, which fueled fears over the recent spate of attacks on security officers.
