At least 12 university students have committed suicide since January in a worrying trend for those interested in education, who are now looking for ways to address the problem.
The last case involved a fourth-year student who graduated this month. The university he was studying in asked that his name and the student's name not be revealed because the family had yet to accept the loss.
Some of the causes of suicides in universities have been identified as depression, mental illness, relationships between students who have become bitter and family ranks.
There have also been cases of suicide in universities in previous years, but many universities have always been reluctant. share statistics for fear that this may represent their institutions in a negative light.
University managers told Saturday Nation that although the actual number of suicides may be small compared to the student population in public and private universities, the trend was worrisome. Since then, they have entrusted their student deans to look for ways to deal with suicides in their respective institutions.
Many universities were reluctant to share suicide statistics in their institutions, although they admitted that such cases had been reported.
However, some of the cases have exploded in public attention. For example, last month, a second-year law student at the University of Nairobi, who was on vacation, committed suicide in Nakuru a few days before he reported to the Parklands campus of the university. The university management acknowledged the incident, but refused to disclose the student's name.
"We are aware of the death of the law student, but he died while at home and in a position to say what could have caused him to commit suicide," said Mr. John Orindi, director of corporate affairs.
At Kenyatta University, at least two cases of suicide have been documented this year. The first was reported last month in Bomet County, where a student committed suicide because of relationship problems. It was said that the 26-year-old and his wife were in a difficult relationship.
"He left behind a detailed account of the tribulations the couple had suffered from the first time they met at the university," said a report by Kongasis chief Edward Barusei.
Another case was reported on campus but management was not willing to provide details, saying they did not want to further traumatize the students' situation. family.
In October, Philip Munene Ntoiti, a student at the Meru University of Science and Technology, was found dead. The third-year student on the main campus was pursuing a bachelor's degree in education He is believed to have committed suicide.
The same month, a student of the University of Laikipia also committed suicide in Gilgil when hanging himself. However, he did not leave a note to indicate why he had decided to take his own life after he had done it? He traveled from his home in Nyahururu.
In September, a second-year student at the University of Agriculture and Technology Jomo Kenyatta (JKUAT) also committed suicide in Juja. The body of Titus Ndirangu Mwai was found hanging in his room near the university. It is said that the student, who was studying to obtain a degree in agribusiness economics, confessed to having had suicidal thoughts due to domestic problems with their relatives.
And in August, a Cooperative University. A student died at a police station in Nairobi after being arrested with several rolls of bhang. Tony Munguti, a fourth-year student, allegedly committed suicide inside the Hardy police station in Karen a few hours after his arrest.
According to the police, Munguti had been arrested for creating a riot but was found in possession of 50 grams of bhang, which led to his arrest. It is said that the student of the Bachelor of Commerce committed suicide with a sweater that he was wearing.
A month earlier, another suicide was reported, again in JKUAT.
The student, who was in his senior year, committed suicide at the home of his older sister in Kasarani, Nairobi, a few days before he took the end-of-semester exams.
The body of Edwin Mwaizi Igunza was discovered by his sister, Mrs. Luize Minaywa Igunza, after she arrived from the family home in Kitale.
The student left a suicide note explaining that the stress of the exam and the fare problems were the reason for suicide. The 23-year-old was studying mining engineering.
At the University of Chuka, two students committed suicide in April. The first, Kelvin Mugendi, was a second-year computer science student.
He committed suicide after discovering that his girlfriend was unfaithful. The student left a suicide note addressed to his girlfriend.
In the same month, the decomposing body of the second student was hung from a mango tree near his shelter. Michael Gikonyo was also a sophomore in computer science.
In February, Derrick Kiprop, 22, a student at the Faculty of Technology at the University of Murang'a, committed suicide after a dispute with him. lover.
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