This archive report was first published on 27 August 2021.
On a fateful day in August 2021, former boxer Conjestina Achieng made a desperate cry for help by setting her house on fire in Gem, Siaya county.
According to media reports, the 35-year-old former International Boxing Federation (IBF) champion was driven by frustrations, a symptom of her ongoing battle with mental illness.
Conjestina's struggles began in 2011, when she was first diagnosed with a mental illness. Since then, she has been in and out of various health facilities, including Mathira Hospital, which specializes in treating mental cases.
Well-wishers have attempted to help her by taking her to rehabilitation centers, but with little success. Two years prior, she had been booked at Eden House Rehabilitation Centre, but failed to complete the sessions.
"The progress was very good until she left," said Boniface Ndiragu, the Executive Director of Eden House Rehabilitation Centre. "We keep people for about three months in the first session then we admit them to the next stage, which is basically the reintegration phase where they can work or go back to school."
Conjestina's departure from the rehabilitation center marked a setback in her recovery, and she soon returned to her old habits, including drinking illicit brews.
