A Kenyan police officer assigned to one of the access points of the president's official residence in the capital city has passed away after being hit with an arrow, officials have said.
Authorities stated that on Monday morning, a man aged 56, armed with a bow and arrows, advanced toward police at the gate of State House and was commanded to disarm. Contrarily, he moved forward and shot PC Ramadhan Matanka in the upper torso.
The policeman was immediately taken to health center but succumbed during medical care, based on a law enforcement announcement.
The assault has brought up issues about alleged protection failures as the official home is one of the country's most strictly protected premises.
The constable's body is now in a funeral home and there will be a post-mortem later.
An inquiry is also under way to establish the cause of the assault.
Domestic news outlets are stating that the dead policeman had been among those inspecting cars entering the official residence.
The alleged attacker, who had allegedly concealed his identity as a street dweller carrying a pack masking the arms, was apprehended following the incident.
Camera recordings, released by Kenyan television channel on Monday afternoon, showed a detained suspect with visible injuries. He was in a law enforcement car and was reportedly being taken to hospital.
The individual is expected to appear in the judicial system on Tuesday, local media are indicating.
"Our law enforcement agency criticizes this heinous act and applauds the staff for their quick action, which stopped more injuries," official representative the spokesperson said.
The spokesperson expressed sympathy to the loved ones of the fallen constable, noting that the officer had "given his life in the performance of duties".
Protection Issues Brought Up
This incident has prompted significant issues about protection protocols at important official sites across Kenya.
- How did the attacker get close to such a high-security area?
- What extra precautions will be implemented to stop such occurrences?
- Are present safety procedures appropriate for protecting important sites?
Specialists are closely monitoring the ongoing investigation and awaiting proposals for better safety arrangements.
