A middle-aged police officer in Taita Taveta County was on the weekend arrested after he shot dead a 36-year-old man who, reports show, was his love rival.
Corporal David Gitahi alias Soldier Boy allegedly killed Esau Juma Mwanguku at 11:35pm Friday at Rockland nightclub in Taveta Town.
The nightspot’s manager, Francis Chege, reported the shooting incident at Taveta Police Station.
Corporal Gitahi was on patrol, when he met Mr Mwanguku and confronted him for “trying to compete a government officer in eating from the same pot”.
Both the suspect and the victim were drunk during their confrontation, reports say.
Corporal Gitahi fired a single bullet into the chest of Mr Mwanguku, killing him on the spot, Mr Chege said.
Police say circumstances surrounding the shooting remain unestablished, though people familiar with Corporal Gitahi and Mr Mwanguku claim they were chasing after the same woman, who loved Mr Mwanguku more than she did the police officer.
The deceased was taken to Taveta Sub-County Hospital mortuary.
The incident comes barely a week after a Mombasa based police officer was shot dead by suspected gangsters in the border town.
The slain Flying squared police officer was killed after a shot out with armed gangsters at the town.
According to senior police officers, the police officer was among security personnel who were trucking down a gang that had been terrorizing Mombasa County residents with impunity.
The runway dangerous suspects are reported to have relocated to the county for fear of being arrested by security personnel who are on hot pursuit for them.