This archive report was first published on 28 June 2020.
Published on June 28, 2020, a Kakamega County mother, Rose Shimoli, is grappling with the loss of her 15-year-old daughter Ruth Nekesa, who took her own life after being scolded for getting involved with boys.
Shimoli, 49, recalls the events leading up to Nekesa's death, saying a neighbour informed her about her daughter's alleged involvement with boys in a house. Together with her husband, they reprimanded Nekesa, who became so upset that she committed suicide.
According to Shimoli, all she wanted was to correct her daughter, who was bright in class and much disciplined. Nekesa's lifeless body was found in her parents' house by a neighbour, with preliminary reports indicating that she had consumed an unknown chemical substance.
Shimoli's case is not an isolated incident in Kakamega County. Between May and June, the county has registered a 50% rise in suicide cases compared to the same period last year. Statistics captured from cases reported at Kakamega police station paint a grim picture of the situation, with 11 cases reported in that period this year, compared to five reported within the same period last year.
Kakamega County Police Commander Hassan Barua says most cases go unreported, citing at least 19 defilement cases involving children aged between five and 17 reported at the police station, while 11 gender-based violence cases were captured in the same period.
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.
