Suicide Rates Reach Alarming Levels in Kiambu, Murang'a

The Makutano village in Ndeiya, Kiambu County, experienced a tragic loss in February when a Form Two student died by suicide.

Mary Wanjiku's body was discovered hanging from the rafters of their rental house, leading neighbours to speculate that her death was the result of family conflicts. According to reports, Wanjiku had a strained relationship with her mother who does manual labour in their village. On the day of her death, Wanjiku left her mother at the Kandumo shopping centre to return home and make lunch for her siblings.

Once there, she instructed her siblings to play outside while she prepared the meal. Sadly, the last time they saw their sister alive was while playing outside, as Wanjiku had locked herself inside and taken her own life using a piece of clothing. Neighbours assisted the authorities in breaking into the house where the body was discovered hanging from the roof. A month later, another Form Two student from Nguirubi village in Ndeiya also committed suicide by igniting a flammable liquid on herself.

The county has been seeing a concerning pattern of young people taking their own lives. Sadly, two years ago Kiambu had the highest number of suicides in Kenya with 109 out of 483 cases reported. Other counties experiencing similar struggles with suicide among youth include Murangá, Kisii, Kakamega, Nyeri, Kisumu, Embu, Uasin Gishu, Nakuru, Makueni and Bomet. Police have attributed much of the increased suicide cases to job and business losses resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. The issue of substance abuse, broken relationships and family conflicts persists in Kiambu with an alarming rate of suicide among the youth.