GEOFFREY MBUTHIA ENTERTAINMENT SUB-EDITOR

19 April 2022

• Karangu Muraya shared the message of a man who threatened to take his own life and his family's too.
• Karungu Muraya later updated Kenyans with good news that the issue had been resolved.

Yesterday, famous Kikuyu musician, Karangu Muraya shared a screenshot of a scary message that he had received from a Kenyan man.

According to Mr. Muraya, the man believed to be from Kisii Estate in Thika (and who I will not mention here), sent him messages where he intimated that he wanted to take his own life.

That wasn't all! The man added that he would also take the life of 4 other family members too.

Karangu tried unsuccessfully to reach out to the man before asking Kenyans who might know the man to reach out to him before things became turned dark.

Suicide in Kenya

WHO data estimates that 408 people die by suicide yearly in Kenya. However, the figures could be high due to underreporting since it has largely been stigmatised.

The report showed that more men were likely to die by suicide than their female counterparts. Out of the 421 suicide cases in 2017, 330 involved men.

Kenya loses about four lives to suicide every day. Research has it that for every suicide, 135 people are personally affected, which means that in a year, suicide affects up to 6.3 million people.

Out of 175 countries, Kenya is ranked 114th in the World Population Review, placing it among the nations with high suicide cases globally. These are just statistics and behind every number, there’s a personality, memories and life.

Counselors, medics, and psychologists advise that you can always reach out for help when experiencing any mental health issues. Call Kenya Red Cross toll-free hotline, 1199 for support.