Former police officer who fled Mandera after surviving bomb attack traced to Turkana

A former police officer who was serving at Elwak Police Station in Mandera County before abruptly vanishing has been traced to Lorugum area of Turkana County, where he now plies his trade as a construction worker.

In an interview with Citizen TV, former officer Clement Erumu revealed that he decided to leave his job after narrowly surviving an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) attack in the line of duty, where sadly, his colleagues lost their lives.

"Mimi nilikuwa nafanya kazi kwa crime department hapo Elwak, na nilikuwa nafanya kazi za escorts na zingine," he said.

"Ilikuwa gari inajitokeza kwenda escort sasa gari yetu ikakanyaga IED ikalipuka kila mtu akafariki...nakumbuka rafiki yangu Geoffrey Ruto...nilikaa nikaona sasa kama huyu amefariki nikaona ni kama next ni mimi."

Surviving a near-death experience was just the beginning; subsequent misfortunes weighed heavily on his mind, impacting his work.

The final blow came with the funeral service of his aforesaid fallen colleague, prompting him to quietly hang up his boots and return to his village.

Dr. Moses Kimenchu, a counselling officer at the police headquarters, has tirelessly tracked the officer over the years.

Dr. Kimenchu unveiled that Erumu has been battling depression stemming from his traumatic experiences in the line of duty.

"Depression is real. I want officers who are going through challenges to talk and I want this one to return to work," he stated.

As the counselling department arranges mental treatment for Erumu before his potential reintroduction to the police force, a rallying call resonates across departments urging human resource units to implement strategies for employee counselling, emphasizing the need to fortify mental health among the workforce.