Kenya’s Suicide Crisis: Rising Deaths Expose a Failing System

On February 11, 2025, Kenya awoke to a story that left the nation shaken. In Githogoro near Runda, a woman named Monica allegedly killed her three children with bedsheets before hanging herself. She left behind an eight-page note. Her husband, returning from a night shift, found the lifeless bodies and raised the alarm. Neighbours gathered, police arrived, but all they found was devastation.

Only three months later, police across the country recorded several suspected suicides in a single day. In Nairobi’s Kahawa West, 28-year-old Henry Ndika was found dead in his house. In Nyeri, 34-year-old Winfred Wangari’s body was discovered at home. In Baringo, 55-year-old Cecilia Ruto was found hanging from a tree. In Migori, 25-year-old Julius Magina was discovered inside his house. And just weeks ago, on September 22, the body of 34-year-old Aisha Kajuju was found in Mihango, Nairobi. She had sealed her house before lighting a jiko. It was her third attempt. This time, she succeeded.

Every week, Kenyan newspapers carry similar stories. These are not distant tragedies; they are happening to our neighbours, our friends, and our families.

Why Is Suicide Becoming a National Emergency in Kenya?

Globally, more than 700,000 people die by suicide every year, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). That is one person every 40 seconds. Kenya records about four deaths a day, with suicide now the fourth leading cause of death among young people. Men account for nearly three-quarters of all cases.

The causes are deeply rooted in everyday struggles. Mental illness is often untreated because psychiatrists are few and counselling is expensive. Depression is dismissed as laziness, while anxiety and trauma are silenced by stigma. Economic despair adds pressure, from jobless graduates to parents drowning in debt. Substance abuse, family disputes, and gender-based violence also drive many to the edge.

Until 2023, Kenya even criminalised attempted suicide. Survivors were punished instead of helped, making despair even harder to confront.

What Needs to Change to Address Kenya’s Suicide Crisis?

Kenya has fewer than 100 psychiatrists serving over 50 million people. Rural areas rely mostly on pastors or herbalists, while schools lack mental health programmes. Churches preach hope but often ignore the silent pain in their congregations. Politicians shed tears during viral tragedies, only to move on to the next campaign.

There is progress. In 2023, Judge Lawrence Mugambi declared Section 226 of the Penal Code unconstitutional, decriminalising attempted suicide. Kenya’s Suicide Prevention Strategy (2021–2026) is in place, and hotlines such as Befrienders Kenya (+254 722 178 177) and Red Cross (1199) are active. However, access remains limited, especially for rural youth who may not even be able to afford a call.

Real change requires more than hashtags and awareness days. It means funding mental health care, hiring professionals in every county, and integrating counselling into schools. It means treating poverty as suicide prevention by creating jobs and easing economic despair. It also means breaking cultural hypocrisy, stopping the shaming of men for being vulnerable and ending the silence around abuse.

By Modester Nasimiyu