13-year-old girl dies by suicide in Kibera
Police have launched investigation into the death of a 13-year-old girl who is reported to have died by suicide in their family’s house in Kibera, Nairobi. The standard six pupil is said to have used a bed sheet to take her life on Tuesday.
According to the police, the minor tied the bed sheet on a roof truss to hang herself. Her lifeless body was found dangling from the roof when her mother went to wake her up after she overslept.
Two similar case of suicide in Pangani and Buruburu were also reported to the police on Tuesday. The victims included a woman who died hanged herself.
Cases of suicide have been on the rise this year and authorities blame the trend on mental distress. Data from the World Bank puts suicide mortality rates in Kenya at 6.1 people in every 100,000, with men being in the highest risk category, with 9.1 men in every 100,000 affected.
Under Section 226 of the Penal Code, attempted suicide is an offence punishable by a two-year imprisonment, a fine or both.