This archive report was first published on 2 January 2020.
On December 29, 2019, friends of photographer Abiud Wangu Maina woke up to the devastating news of his untimely death in a road accident along the Thika Super Highway.
Hours earlier, Abiud had posted a heartfelt message on his Facebook account, expressing his struggles with depression and hinting at his desire to end his life.
However, according to a post by his friend MC Georgez, Abiud's death was not a result of suicide, but rather a tragic road accident.
"The post-mortem shows he died from excessive bleeding and he had issues with breathing after the accident. I have known Abiud for years now, he was depressed but I’m sure he was not committing suicide," Georgez said.
Abiud was rushed to Kenyatta National Hospital after the accident, where he succumbed to his injuries.
Before his death, Abiud had shared a poignant post on Facebook, revealing his struggles with depression and encouraging others to speak out about their mental health issues.
"Depression changes u, you may look the same but everything else is different, you act differently, move differently, you speak differently, everything about you is so different that you forget who you are," he wrote.
Abiud's post was a powerful call to action, urging people to seek help and support for mental health issues.
Abiud will be buried this Saturday at Mukurwe-ini, Nyeri County.
