Headteacher Commits Suicide In His Office

Kioko Mutie, a primary school headteacher took his own life inside his offices at the institution’s administration block on Monday evening, June 21, 2021.

According to area Assistant Chief Mulinge Wambua, he confirmed the incident, stating that they were astounded by the death of the 46-year-old teacher who was the headteacher at Yanyonge Primary School.

“He had never shown any signs of depression as he was full of life,” Wambua noted.

The authorities could not ascertain why he took his own life. A search for a suicide note or any other hints was futile. Pupils and teachers converged at the administration block to mourn their principal who hanged himself.

According to Teachers and parents, Kioko was an education enthusiast and disciplinarian. They added that he always arrived in school early to begin teaching and correlated well with teachers.

The body of the deceased was ferried to a nearby morgue awaiting a postmortem by a government pathologist.

About 800,000 people die from suicide each year (that is one person every 40 seconds), most of them aged 15-29, in which age-group suicide is the second leading cause of death according to the World Health Organization (WHO)

WHO data estimates that 1408 people commit suicide yearly, or simply put, four deaths daily in Kenya, a number that is higher than what the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics reported for 2018: 421 deaths.

The country has experienced a sharp increase in suicide cases, mental health conditions, substance use, and addictive disorders which points to social challenges and unmet needs at the societal level.