Naivasha man dies by suicide after jumping under moving train

Crime Scene. [Photo/GettyImages]

Police in Naivasha are investigating a bizarre incident in which a middle-aged man committed suicide by throwing himself under a moving train.

During the incident near Manera Primary school, the man was cut into pieces, with a section of the body recovered over 30 km away from the scene of the crime.

The victim, said to be a flower farm worker, left his wallet and shoes by the side of the railway line before taking his life due to what friends described as depression.

A witness, Eliot Walungu said that the deceased had fallen out with his wife due to various loans that he had been advanced by shysters and could not support the family.

He added that he was last seen on the eve of the incident heading towards the railway line, where he waited for a passing train before jumping under it.

“The legs and hands were found at the scene, but the other parts were recovered past Gilgil town and taken to Naivasha sub-county hospital mortuary,” he said.

Naivasha DCIO Isaac Kiama confirmed the incident, adding that all the body parts had been recovered and an inquest file opened.

“Some of his personal effects, including the ID, were recovered at the scene, and we are not ruling out anything at this time,” he said.

This came as child activists in the town decried the rising cases of suicide involving minors and middle-aged men mainly due to depression.

According to John Kinuthia, the chair of the Naivasha GBV cluster group, the town had this year recorded over 40 cases of suicide, with middle aged men being the most affected.

He said that together with partners, they had organised various activities as part of dealing with the rising cases.

He said that initial investigations by the Cluster group indicated that there were issues related to do with school or family leading to a surge in the cases.

“We are concerned by the rising number of suicide mainly among the youths and we have launched a campaign where we are encouraging them to speak out,” he said.

Kinuthia said that the group would be holding sensitization workshops in schools and workplaces even as suicide cases continued to be reported in various parts of the town.

He noted that unlike past incidents where adults were taking their lives, minors had joined in raising fear and anxiety among parents.