7-year-old boy allegedly commits suicide after sister denied him access to pencils

7-year-old boy allegedly commits suicide over pencils

Mumbi Mutuko

August 6, 2019 10:50 AM

Shock and grief after boy allegedly commits suicide

Officers carry away an unidentified body

A 7-year-old boy in Kirinyaga County allegedly committed suicide after his sister denied him access to pencils.

Family members, who are mourning, expressed their disbelief by the incident which has left Kiangwenyi village in Gichugu, Kirinyaga county in shock.

Cases of minors committing suicide have hit the headlines in the recent past with parents being urged to be vigilant and talk to their children to identify any problems.

A report presented in May this year indicated that the Central Kenya region is losing at least five lives every day through suicide.

Relatives of the 7-year-old boy who allegedly committed suicide Pulse Live Kenya

Residents said that this was a never seen before tragedy that should have triggered community reawakening to restore social ethics.

Suicide statistics

According to police records, Nyeri County was leading in the survey where on average, four people kill themselves every day while Kirinyaga followed with at least one death per day and in Murang’a at least four people commit suicide every week.

Police also noted that youths aged between 20 to 35 years are the most victims and take their lives by either hanging or drowning themselves in rivers.

7-year-old boy allegedly commits suicide over pencils Pulse Live Kenya

Experts say that despite suicide being a leading cause of death worldwide, there is little hard evidence to explain why some people attempt suicide.

Research has shown many people who die by suicide have a mental illness, most commonly depression or an alcohol problem. It has also been linked to feelings of hopelessness and worthlessness.

Mumbi Mutuko