This archive report was first published on 17 December 2019.
On Thursday, a debt-ridden woman from Ongito village in Uriri, Migori County, made a desperate attempt to escape her financial woes by jumping off a motorbike and into the swollen River Kuja.
According to police, the 23-year-old woman had been threatened by members of a local Sacco to pay up a debt of Sh9,000 or face auction of her property.
Uriri sub-county police commander, Peter Njoroge, confirmed the incident, stating that preliminary reports show the woman, identified as Sylvia Aluoch, jumped into the river following pressure from creditors.
"The woman secured a soft loan from the local sacco and was under pressure to re-pay. Investigations show she was unable to raise the money and opted to jump into the river," Njoroge explained.
It is alleged that the woman had attended a merry-go-round with Wabongo B Group, but failed to produce the Sh9,000 loan, prompting her colleagues to threaten her with auction of her property or imprisonment.
"She was carried on a motorbike by one of the group members whom she requested to alight and pick her leso which had dropped. When the motorbike stopped she jumped off and dived into River Kuja," Njoroge said.
