Suicide: Worrying trend in universities

Worrying as it, cases of students who commit suicide are rarely reported by university administrations. Deans of students tasked with imparting sanity in students and ensuring they lead healthy lives on campus are sometimes caught unawares when students get to a point of no return and take their own lives.

No one, for instance, at the University of Nairobi knew when Catherine Njeri, a former student at the university was planning end her death. In a shocking confession, the student claimed to have slept with more than 100 men and tried to commit suicide five times.

But not every student that contemplated death survived their ill intentions to tell the tale. Here are some cases of students who committed suicide last year:

November: UoN refused to divulge details that surrounded the demise of a second-year law student at the university who committed suicide when he went for a holiday in Nakuru. The same month, two suicide cases were reported at Kenyatta University. In the first, a 26-year-old student who claimed that he was in a rocky relationship killed himself.

October: Philip Munene, a student at Meru University of Science and Technology who was pursuing a Bachelor of Education was found dead in circumstances that pointed to possible suicide. The same month, a student at Laikipia University also committed suicide. He committed this act away from his home in Nyahururu and did not leave behind a note to explain the cause of his death.

August: A commerce student at Co-operative University student committed suicide using a sweater he brought to a police station. Tony Munguti, a fourth-year student at the university had been arrested for allegedly being in possession of banned substances.

July: A 23-year-old fourth year Mining Engineering student at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) committed suicide citing stress over examinations according to a suicide note. Edwin Mwaizi Igunza had mentioned to his sister that he was stressed and had insomnia due to lack of money.

April: Kelvin Mugendi, a second-year computer science student at Chuka University committed suicide citing unfaithfulness by his girlfriend. The suicide note was addressed to his girlfriend. Not long afterwards, the decomposing body of Michael Gikonyo, also a second year computer science student at the university was found hanging from a mango tree near his hostel.

February: Derrick Kiprop, 22, a student at Murang’a University College of Technology ended his life after he disagreed with his lover who wanted to end the relationship.