Students at a mixed and boarding Secondary School in Migori County were left in shock when they stumbled upon the dead body of one of their teachers hanging from a tree in the school’s parade ground.
According to the police, the teacher had reportedly engaged in an argument with his wife prior to the tragic incident. Following the domestic dispute, he left his house and sought solace in a local bar.
After a night of drinking, the teacher opted not to go back to his house.
He instead went to the school premises where the security guards opened the gate upon recognizing him.
Unbeknownst to the security guards on duty, the teacher unfortunately harbored intentions of taking his own life.
“He entered the school compound during the night and proceeded to the parade ground, where he ended his own life,” read the police statement.
“Preliminary investigations indicate that he had quarreled with his wife before committing suicide. The teacher had been commuting from his rural home to school,” the police statement added.
According to the police, the secondary school teacher did not return home but was seen in the company of friends at the local market on the evening in question.
“Before that fateful evening, he was observed making several phone calls, likely engaged in arguments with the caller, believed to be his wife. Apparently, the wife had allegedly instructed him not to return home if he was drunk,” the statement claimed.
Upon notification of the incident, Migori police officers swiftly rushed to the scene to retrieve the teacher’s lifeless body. They then transported it to a public mortuary at Migori County Referral Hospital, where it awaits autopsy.
As part of their ongoing investigation, police officers have recorded statements from the students who discovered the body. They have also interviewed the school administrators who reported the incident to the authorities.
The law enforcement officials are also expected to visit the teacher’s residence to obtain a statement from his wife.
In Kenya, an estimated 311 people die by suicide yearly. Reports also have it that Central Kenya is the leading in suicide deaths with at least 5 deaths daily.
Considering the fact suicide is criminalized in Kenya, and under reporting and misreporting of suicide related deaths is common, coming up with accurate findings can be a challenge. Suicide has been marked as one of the leading causes of death in Kenya, especially among the youth.
The Chiromo Group of Hospitals outlines a few steps to helping prevent suicide as a nation.
- Normalize the suicide conversation, break the stigma.
- Create awareness on mental health and substance abuse.
- Emphasize on the need to reach out to someone when need be.
- Prioritize self-care.
