Murang’a County in central Kenya is witnessing an unprecedented rise in suicide with authorities reporting more than five incidents every month.

According to County Police Commander Kemboi Kimaiyo, at least 27 cases have been reported over the past three months, a trend he described as deeply worrying.

In an interviewed, Kimaiyo said some of the victims leave behind suicide notes explaining why they opted to take their lives, while others do not. He noted that the majority of the victims are men aged between 20 and 60 years, although a few cases involving women have also been recorded.

“In the month of October nine cases were reported, two of those were women,” he stated.

“There was a young man from Kandara, aged 22 years, who left a note saying he could no longer manage his mother’s upkeep, which had taken a toll on him,” Kimaiyo said.

Kimaiyo stated that most of the older men who take their lives are found to have faced neglect and abandonment by their children or spouses.

“For the older men, though many don’t leave a note, investigations into their backgrounds often reveal loneliness and neglect,” he said.

For women, Kimaiyo noted that domestic conflicts remain a major trigger for those dealing with marital disputes or family pressures.

“One of the female victims left a note saying she decided to end her life due to domestic issues,” he said.

“Recently, we had two women who killed their children, one by drowning them and the other by stabbing, before attempting suicide themselves, but they were rescued,” Kimaiyo said.

Both women cited domestic disputes as the reasons for killing their children when they were interrogated by police. The police boss further cited drug abuse and alcoholism, especially among the youth, as key contributors to the growing number of suicides in the county.

He called for intensive public education to help residents manage stress, mental health challenges and domestic disputes before they escalate.

“There is a need to create self-awareness among people so they can manage personal issues better and seek help when they feel overwhelmed,” Kimaiyo emphasised.

The police commander called upon members of the community to embrace ways of resolving domestic disputes amicably and called upon grown children not to abandon their aging parents. 

The rising suicide cases in Murang’a mirror a nationwide concern over increasing cases of suicide. Although current national data is limited, a 2021 Ministry of Health report estimated that at least four suicide deaths occur daily in Kenya.

• A Tell Media / KNA report / By Purity Mugo