Kirinyaga: Village elder dies by suicide

Mwea-East Sub-county police commander James Mutua identified the deceased Mr. Isaac Muthii Njagi, and village elder and until his death, the Mwea bodaboda chairman.

According to the police, the deceased first ingested pesticide before picking a kitchen knife and turning it on himself; slitting his own throat. 

Police said that the deceased, a known village elder, called the officers on his mobile phone moments before dying by suicide.

“Our officers immediately rushed to the scene of the incident only to find that he had slit his throat with a kitchen knife,” said Mutua – noting that his officers knew him well as a local leader.

“Our officers rushed him to Mwea mission hospital and later to Kerugoya hospital in an attempt to save his life, but he died last night,” said Mutua.

It is not yet clear why the village elder had decided to die by suicide. The wife had reportedly stepped out to attend a salon session when the incident happened.

Residents of Mbamba-Ini have raised concern over rising cases of death by suicide in the region.

According to the residents, many cases of death by suicide in the county are as a result of domestic related violence, land tussles and abuse of drugs.

Reuben Nderitu, the secretary of bodaboda association in Mwea, shared his commiserations.

“Njagi was our chairman in bodaboda, and was still a very young man. Losing a 35-year-old man is a big loss,” said Nderitu.

The body is currently lying at Kerugoya hospital Mortuary awaiting postmortem.