This archive report was first published on 13 July 2020.
A couple's tragic fate has left the nation in shock after they were found dead in a double hanging suicide in Machakos, Kenya.
The incident occurred on Sunday, July 12, 2020, just a day after the couple, identified as Dennis Pius, 28, and Susan Ndeto, 19, arrived at their Machakos home from Nairobi City.
According to a report by Citizen TV, the duo was found dead at Kaumoni village in Machakos, with witnesses claiming they had seen the couple on Saturday morning before learning of the hanging later that day.
Ndeto's mother revealed that she had tried contacting her daughter but couldn't get an answer, prompting her to travel to their Machakos home where she found the two hanging.
Their bodies were transferred to Kangundo Hospital Mortuary for postmortem, with their death being the latest indication of increasing mental illness cases in the country brought about by the economic downturn emanating from the Covid-19 pandemic.
Health CS Mutagi Kagwe has stated that Kenya's suicide deaths are ranked 29th worldwide according to the World Health Organisation, with depression and anxiety being among the leading mental conditions in the country.
A task force set up by the government recommended that mental illness should be declared a national issue and called for the establishment of a mental health commission.
