By Rédaction Africa Links 24 with AJUMA MILLICENT
Published on 2024-01-17 07:52:10
Tragedy has struck Mogoroka village in Nyamira county as a Form One student at Bobaracho Secondary died by suicide, sparking concern over the growing issue of suicide in Kenya.
The 20-year-old student’s body was discovered hanging in his house on January 15, with the family attributing the tragic event to frustrations over the lack of school fees.
Police visited the scene and moved the body to the Sengera Hospital Morgue for preservation and postmortem.
In a separate incident, a 48-year-old man in Huruma, Nairobi, was admitted to the hospital after a failed suicide attempt. The man had threatened to take his own life during a quarrel with his wife over domestic issues on January 16. His wife quickly alerted security officers at Pangani police station, who accompanied her to their house where they found the man holding a bottle of poison and preparing to consume it. He was rushed to a nearby facility and later referred to Mama Lucy Kibaki Hospital for further treatment.
These incidents have prompted efforts to decriminalize attempted suicide under the Penal Code. The World Health Organisation attributes suicide attempts to various factors such as joblessness, academic failures, legal difficulties, and financial hardships, as well as bullying, substance misuse, depression, and bipolar disorder. WHO rates suicide as a serious global public health issue and Kenya ranks 114th among the 175 countries with the highest suicide rates. The trend is a cause for concern, with up to two cases reported daily.
Read the original article on The Star
