A sad mood has engulfed a home within Kibingoti village, Kirinyaga county following the death of an 11-year-old boy who allegedly died by way of suicide.
It is alleged that the grade 4 pupil at Kibirigwi primary school took away his life early this week by hanging himself with a rope inside their house.
The minor’s grandmother Rose Ritho narrates that the boy’s behaviour prior to his death was unsuspicious and as such, could not know his intention.
She says on a fateful day, she noticed the boy digging a deep hole within their home compound and upon confronting him he told her that he wanted to plant a banana stem.
“I had just got from the farm and saw him digging a deep hole beside our house. I sought why he was doing so. He told me he wanted to plant a banana stem but I cautioned him to stop and cover it because it would be dangerous to have a banana near an electricity cable. At first, he seemed reluctant but later covered the hole with soil,” recounts Ritho.
Ritho narrates that later, she recovered some well-cut out sticks within the scene that aroused more suspicions as to whether his grandson was contemplating digging his own grave.
“At the scene where he was digging, I later happened to recover some sticks that are normally improvised while measuring the length size of a human grave. This totally shocked me,” she said.
Ritho says her family is still reeling in shock and mourning the death of the boy despite Christmas festivities filling the air.
Area police boss Moses Koskei, told the Star on the phone that investigations into the incident have commenced.
He however says preliminary findings suggest that the boy might have committed suicide as a result of the grandparents' delay in buying the boy some new Christmas wear.
Koskei said the deceased’s mother who works in Qatar allegedly sent some money to his grandparents to buy him some new clothes but due to the pricey state of the clothes during the festive season, the boy was allegedly told by the grandparents to be patient.
He was promised to have the clothes after Christmas.
“It seems they had talked with the mother who confirmed to him that she had sent the money. I think he interpreted the call of patience by the grandparents as blatantly refusing to buy him the new clothes,” he said.
Koskei said the body was taken to one of the hospital morgues in Karatina.
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.
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