Let's join hands and end these shocking killings

Unconscious person on ground [Courtesy]

There has been a marked rise in cases of murder, suicides and mental health issues.

It is alarming that even families have been caught up in the web of murders, yet family members should be looking out for each other.

When men and women murder their spouses; when fathers and mothers kill the very children they have an obligation to protect, there is cause for alarm. Time has come for the society, and specifically the government, to establish the causes and find solutions.

In September 2021, a man in Kapenguria killed his girlfriend. In November 2021, a Kirinyaga man killed his wife and four children. A similar incident was reported in Molo on January 8, 2022 where a man killed his wife and three children.

In December 2021, a policeman killed his wife before killing five people and turning the gun on himself.

That was one of many cases of police officers killing their spouses as highlighted in the media. In Murang’a, a man confessed to killing his 16-year-old daughter recently.

Besides family quarrels, love triangles and mental health issues, it is hard to put a finger on a specific cause for the homicides. However, the cases appear to have worsened with the coming Covid-19. Many families have undergone a lot of pressure from stressful situations like business closures, job losses and the cost of living that has shot through the roof.

To a larger extent, mental health issues take blame for being the leading cause of depression that, ultimately, results in cases of homicides. Some of the parents pushed to the wall by economic hardships look at their children as liabilities, which could partly explain why children have become homicide victims.

Society must take note and seek solutions. Church leaders, elders, and elected leaders have a duty to confront this growing problem. The government should play its part by alleviating the financial burden on citizens. This can be achieved through lowering taxation, cost of education and treatment as well as giving subsidies.