A -59-year-old man, and a renowned barber at Kagio town in Kirinyaga County has died by suicide in his shop in an incident that has left residents and police officers shocked.
Kirinyaga West sub-county police commander Moses Koskei confirmed the incident, saying Josphat Wanjohi, 59, used a piece of cloth to hang himself in his shop.
”It is a shocking incident in mind two men in my sub-county are in the mortuary after committing suicide on Saturday and Sunday,” Koskei said.
Koskei stated that police and Kagio residents had a difficult time breaking into his shop because he had locked himself inside prior to the incident.
”The first incident happened on Saturday at Mururi-ini village where a 47-year-old man hanged himself and on Sunday another man aged 38 hanged himself at Ngugu-ini village. It is very sad that men are taking their own lives,” Koskei added.
Residents of Kagio described Wanjohi as a hard worker.
“He was one of the first barbers in this town, and I spoke with him before committing suicide, and he told me they had an issue with his wife this morning after he went home late, and had spent the entire day drinking over stress,” Peter Muriithi said.
Cases of suicide are worrying the residents, as five men have died by suicide in Kirinyaga since Saturday.
A 50-year-old man died in Githioro village in Kirinyaga Central on Saturday, while a 47-year-old man died in a similar manner in Mururi-ini village in Ndi.
Elsewhere, a 60-year-old man died by suicide in Mwea East Sub County.
On Sunday, a 38-year-old man died by suicide in Ndia’s Nguguini village, while yet another incident was recorded in Ndia’s Kagio village on Wednesday.
According to Kamau Muchira, chairman of the Kirinyaga branch of the Association of Counselling and Psychological Association (KCPA), suicide should not be ignored and should be addressed so that it does not continue to take a toll in the region.
“We are very worried much worried, as men are more likely to commit suicide than women suicide is a hugely sensitive and complex issue with a tangled multitude of causes,” Muchira said.
The Kirinyaga branch of the Association of Counselling has expressed concern about the shocking increase in the number of men committing suicide in the area.
