There has been enough evidence that men and women at times do all manner of crazy things to win the hearts of their objects of desires.
Ever since colonialist Ewart Grogan, after whom a Nairobi street is named, walked the 12,000 kilometres from Cape Town to Cairo to prove his love and commitment for his sweetheart, men have accomplished equally dubious feats to proclaim love.
However, one man in Chilchila ward in Kipkelion West constituency, Kericho County pushed the joke too far last week when he sneaked into the home of a 19-year-old girl and committed suicide after her father disapproved of his marriage to her as his second wife.
Villagers in the locale are still reeling in shock after the 37-year-old father of six hung himself on a tree outside his would-be in-laws house after her father allegedly refused to marry her off to him.
The would-be father-in-law is reported to have turned down the proposal, citing the huge age gap between the two and his desire to enrol her back to school after she dropped out following a pregnancy by the father of six.
Kipkelion Officer Commanding Police Division (OCPD) Mr Samuel Anampiu confirmed that the deceased killed himself after his would-be second father in-law rejected his request to have her daughter’s hand in marriage.
“The old man reportedly rejected the man’s marriage proposal by telling him that he intended to enrol her back to school after she dropped out when the man impregnated her,” said Mr Anampiu.
The body of the deceased was found in the morning dangling on a tree, a few metres from the young woman’s house after the man sneaked into the compound at the crack of dawn.
Mr Anampiu added that before the deceased took his life, he had sent a text message to the girl’s father claiming that the rejection had deeply hurt him, especially after spending a lot of money on her.
“The man had sent his sweetheart’s father a text message, complaining that he couldn’t live without her now that he had invested so much in her financially,” he said.
The OCPD decried the raising incidents of suicides in the area and called on the residents to resort to counselling services whenever they are feeling stressed by the myriad of social issues.
There is no need for one to take his or her own life at a time when there many forms of help around such counselling or talking about the issue with a close relative or friend,” said Mr Anampiu.
