Investigate why children are committing suicide

In the past few years, the number of people who have been murdered or committed suicide in this country is mind-boggling.

In the last week or so, villagers butchered six men who had gone to attend the funeral of a businessman in Busia; a man murdered his estranged wife in Nakuru and later committed suicide and a soldier was arraigned in Nanyuki on suspicion of killing his former wife and two children, who were found buried in a shallow grave in the outskirts of the town.

It is as if there is an ill wind blowing across the country, pushing people to murder or kill themselves. Some have blamed the hard economic times for the madness, others mobile phones and the Internet, while still others the empowerment of women. The jury, however, is still out there.

But even as we seek answers as to why these killings are happening, it should worry us that children have also joined the bandwagon.

Following the release of KCPE examination results this week, a boy committed suicide in Kakuyuni, Machakos County, after his dream to score 300 marks foundered. Also this week, a 12-year-old boy hanged himself after he quarreled with his a nine-year-old brother in Ol Kalou, Nyandarua County. There are many other such cases of children taking their lives. This was unheard of several years ago.

Just what has gone wrong? Why would children as young as nine decide to take their own lives? Are the children learning the bad manners from adults? Something has really gone haywire. But exactly what? The sooner we find out, the better for this country.