Girl, 16, commits suicide as deaths hit worrying levels in Bomet

Suicide among children in Bomet County has quietly morphed into a social crisis after police recorded the eighth case in less than two months.

On Tuesday evening, a class seven pupil committed suicide by consuming unknown pesticide as she went to bed.

The 16-year-old pupil at Mogogosiek Township Academy was found by parents foaming from the mouth and had vomited.

According to her father David Tonui, her 9- year-old daughter woke them up at 11:00 pm that her elder sister was vomiting.

In his report to the police, Tonui said he found her struggling in bed and vomiting foaming in her mouth.

“I rushed her to Litein AIC Mission Hospital immediately and on arrival, she was pronounced dead,” Tonui told the police.

Confirming the incident, Konoin sub-county Police Commander Alex Shikondi said police visited the scene of the suicide and recovered an empty bottle smelling unknown chemicals under the bed where the deceased was sleeping.

Police suspect that the girl was was protesting punishment meted on her by parents earlier in the day.

Shikondi said investigations have started into the incident.

Mogogsiek Location Cenior Chief David Langat said reports with them was that the parents were punishing her on suspicion of being in a romantic relationship.

“The girl is already a teenager and the parents had suspected that she was in a relationship and they had warned her severally but she continued,” said the administrator.

The chief warned parents to try a softer way of correcting children to avoid driving them to their death.

Parents Association chairman Dr Stanley Koskei lamented the worrying cases of suicide among children.

Koskei said there was an urgent need for intervention by the government to curb it by sensitising parents on how to discipline children.

Cases

Between  September 22 to October 23,  at least seven cases have been reported at Kamungei, Aisaik, Kipyosit, Merigi and Longisa Boys secondary schools.

Two other cases have been reported at Chebois and Bomet primary schools.

In one of the cases, a 14-year old girl at Kabiangek Primary School committed suicide after her teacher mocked her for soiling her uniform with her period.

In another incident, a student is said to have committed suicide after being sent home for lack of school fees.

Victims in most of these cases have not left behind suicide notes to tell their kin why they had taken their lives.

But teenage pregnancies, domestic disputes, terminal illness and drugs, and substance abuse are some of the issues which have been cited as contributing to suicide among students.