According to the victim’s mother Patricia Njambi Wainaina, she had noticed changes in her son's behaviour for more than three months leading to his tragic death.
"At the beginning of this year when my son moved to his new residence where he allegedly committed suicide, I would get reports from his neighbours that sometimes he could be heard shouting in the middle of the night.
When he came to visit he seemed fine most of the time but on the night of his death, he had come to ask me for Sh50 during the day and became upset when he could not get it," his mother said.
Gideon Kimani, a cousin of the deceased who discovered the body, said he had begun a daily routine of checking up on him after he realized he was having problems with his mental health.
"I tried to seek help for my late cousin even at one time suggesting that we should go for prayers. About 4 months ago, he had threatened to commit suicide and I would visit his house every evening after work to check on him," Kimani said.
Suicide rates among young people in Kenya have increased with the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic due to economic pressure. According to Gloria Sane, a psychiatrist at the Ngong sub-county hospital, Kajiado county offers psychiatric and psychotherapy services to patients suffering from mental health challenges.
"Kajiado County provides counselling and psychotherapy to patients suffering from a wide range of mental health challenges like depression, bipolar, schizophrenia, psychosis and suicidal thoughts. On average, the county provides services to over 100 patients a week in public facilities across the county," she added.
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