This archive report was first published on 28 June 2020.
Between May and June, Kakamega County has witnessed a 50% rise in suicide cases compared to the same period last year, with at least 11 cases reported at the local police station.
According to statistics captured from cases reported at Kakamega police station, the number of reported cases has increased significantly, with 11 cases reported in the period between May and June this year, compared to five reported within the same period last year.
Many parents in the county are grappling with the loss of their children, including Rose Shimoli, whose 15-year-old daughter Ruth Nekesa committed suicide after being scolded for getting involved with boys.
Shimoli, who is still reeling from the loss, recalled the events leading up to her daughter's death, saying that a neighbour had informed her about Nekesa's unbecoming behaviour, which had allegedly involved getting caught with boys in a house.
Shimoli and her husband reprimanded Nekesa, but the teenager became annoyed and took her own life.
“A neighbour informed me about my daughter’s unbecoming behaviours. She had allegedly been caught with boys in a house. Together with my husband, we reprimanded Nekesa. She got annoyed to the extent of committing suicide,” Shimoli said.
Shimoli's case is not an isolated incident, as many other parents in the county are struggling to come to terms with the loss of their children.
At Lwesero village in Lurambi, a body of a man was found dangling from the roof of a building under construction, with neighbours claiming that the man had a fight with his wife moments before his death.
Simon Kilonzo, a Kakamega-based businessman, was said to have committed suicide after frequent squabbles with his wife over claims of infidelity and money theft.
Another incident involved a Form Three student at St Kizito Lusumu in Navakholo who jumped to her death in River Lusumu after her parents rebuked her for bringing shame to the family.
Leah Nafula, 17, was at pains to explain circumstances under which she was impregnated, and opted to kill herself when she could not stand the pressure.
“I decided to discipline her after realising she was pregnant, oblivious of what would follow,” said her mother.
Lukoye Atwoli, a psychiatrist and expert in epidemiology of trauma and post-traumatic stress, says the government ought to roll out a mental health campaign in all the counties to address the issue.
Atwoli notes that the control measures in place to fight coronavirus have drawn many people away from their social support system, causing them to struggle to acclimatise with the changes.
