A Grade 4 from kibingoti village, ndia sub county in Kirinyaga County is believed to have taken his own life by hanging inside their house. His body was discovered lifeless hanging from the roof of their house.
Kirinyaga County residents have raised concerns over increasing rate of suicide cases among young children in the area in the recent past.
The ten year old grade four boy is believed to have hunged himself on Tuesday inside their home in Kibingoti village at around seven in the evening.
According to his grandmother, the boy’s body was discovered on Tuesday night after he had earlier been seen digging a ditch.
The grandmother said the boy had shown no signs of taking his own life and seemed happy but soon after his death, they discovered he might have been digging his own grave, in form of the ditch.
Nyambura, grandmother to the boy, explained that she was shocked by the incident because the boy was very happy the previous day. She had bought him new clothes for the New Year celebrations…little did I know it was the last day to see him alive.
Grandmother added that the boy had dug a big ditch, the size of a grave, outside the compound and when she asked him, he told her it was for planting banana stems. She then advised him there was an electric pole around and he covered it and demanded to be shown another site.
Residents have raised concerns about similar cases as they recalled three recent occurrences within the last three months.
One of the cases was recorded on October 10, 2022, where a class seven girl is said to have killed herself after her mother stopped her from boiling water using a gas cooker.
Another Grade Four pupil died by suicide the on November after he lost a Sufuria in River Thiba fearing punishment from his parent.
On Friday this month, a class seven pupil from Maendeleo village in Thiba died on a chicken coop. The minor is being buried today, Wednesday, December 28, 2022.
Ndia Sub-County Police Commander Moses Koskei confirmed the incident saying an investigation is underway.
He also echoed the residents’ remarks that similar cases have been rampant in the county.
