A former police officer who lost his sight in the line of duty during an attack by bandits has come out to reveal the struggles he has faced for decades.

The attack which happened in 1998 left Alex Charo blind and unable to work.

“They shot at us (him and other police officers) and I lost my eyesight in the process,” he said.

Charo said he sought medical intervention at several hospitals in vain.

“This left me stressed because I was the main breadwinner in my family. I have a wife and children and also take care of my mother. I had gotten so stressed that I contemplated committing suicide,” he said.

Charo, however, managed to pick up the pieces of his life and enrolled for a course at the Machakos Technical Institute for the Blind.

He undertook courses in braille, typing, independent living skills and social skills and got an overall A-

The course took two years to complete.

Charo’s wife said the changes led to a new chapter in the family’s life.

“We had to rethink how to ensure our children would go to school and how to take care of our family,” she said.

Charo has urged the government to look into the plight of police officers injured in the line of duty.

Last year, the National Police Service Commission said at least 12,000 officers face mental health challenges out of work-related issues.

The figures were released from a survey on the mental status of police officers and it showed between 12 and 13 per cent of officers have mental problems.

There are more than 110,000 police officers in Kenya.