Joseph Asuza Chama, celebrated as one of the elite General Service Unit officers who battled terrorists during the DusitD2 attack, reportedly took his own life following the passing of his mother, Mary Anael Chama.
Asuza garnered praise and admiration from colleagues and the public following the DusitD2 attack on January 15, 2019, where he helped rescue hundreds of people at the business complex in Westlands, Nairobi.
Despite his extraordinary valor against the terrorists, Azuza struggled to cope with the profound loss of his mother, who passed away on March 5, 2024, after battling a long illness.
Friends and family stated that the pain of his mother’s absence proved insurmountable for Azuza, tragically leading him to take his own life, the Standard reports.
According to the police, on the fateful day(March 17), Asuza had gone to pay his last respects to his late mother at Kenyatta Funeral Services home. However, he was unable to view her body, as the facility does not offer this service to clients on Sundays.
Overwhelmed by grief, he jumped out of a moving taxi near Muthaiga on Thika Road. Although miraculously surviving the initial fall, Azuza met his demise when he was struck by oncoming vehicles after rolling back onto the road.
Witnesses recounted the heart-wrenching scene, describing the GSU officer’s desperation and futile attempt to escape grief.
Asuza was accompanied in the taxi by PAG priest Chama Enos Anzigare and his brother.
“The family said that he was unsettled throughout the journey, when they left the mortuary, heading to Kangemi PAG for fundraising. However, after reaching Muthaiga, he jumped out of the car and rolled to the edge,” the Standard quotes a cop attached to Muthaiga police station.
“He then rolled back on the road and two oncoming vehicles killed him on the spot.”
Friends and family mentioned that Azuza shared a profound bond with his mother. Jeff Makalua Otieno, a friend of Azuza, said that his mother was his closest confidant.
“They had an inseparable bond. She served as both a mother figure and a trusted friend to him,” Otieno told the Standard, adding, “It’s heartbreaking that we’re laying them to rest tomorrow. May their souls find peace.”
His colleagues eulogized him as a decorated officer.
“He was a strong man, and that’s why he was the captain of the Red Berets, and everyone just loved him. It is sad and may their souls rest in eternal peace,” said a Recce officer.
Asuza, fondly known as ‘Asuu’, was also a footballer. He joined Red Berrets FC of the GSU in 1998 and was subsequently recruited into the police force in 1999 due to his discipline and hard work. He rose to become the captain of the Red Berets until the team was relegated.
He worked in the USA as a security officer for the United Nations and had visited to attend the burial of his mother. They were both laid to rest on Saturday.
