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Man commits suicide after wife deserted him over unpaid dowry

By KNA March 18th, 2015 1 min read

A 46 year old casual labourer in Madogo division, Tana River County, committed suicide Tuesday night allegedly after his wife left him for failing to pay her dowry.

Peter Mutisia’s woes started early last month when his in-laws paid a visit and demanded that he pay them dowry or risk losing his wife of 23 years.

The deceased told the in-laws that he could not raise the dowry because the meager earnings from casual jobs were barely enough to sustain his family.

One week after the visit, the wife Jane Mwikali Mutua, 36 left her matrimonial home and rented a room within the same estate.

According to the deceased brother, Mutisia got withdrawn from then and never went to look for casual jobs as before.

LOCKED INSIDE

On Tuesday night at around 10.00 pm, he locked himself inside his rented room.

At around 11 am Tuesday, his brother got curious when he realized the room was locked from inside and Mutisia had not been seen coming out by the neighbours.

When they peeped through the window, they were shocked to see his body dangling.

They called area senior sub-chief Mohammed Loka who contacted officers from Modogo police station.

Loka said the deceased used a plastic chair to stand on before hanging himself.

The incident left many Mororo residents shocked and even accused the in-laws and the wife for pressurizing Mutisia to pay dowry after 23 years of being married.

“This family has been living happily for 23 years. Why didn’t the in-laws ask for dowry all those years,” quipped a neighbour who requested anonymity.

The deceased leaves behind a 8 year-old girl and two boys aged 23 and 14.

The body was taken to the Garissa hospital mortuary.