Concern in Kilifi as 59 people die by suicide in a year
Globally, 726,000 people take their own lives each year and many more attempt suicide, according to the World Health Organization.
At least 59 people have died by suicide in Kilifi County in the last one year, according to government statistics.
The figures, collected from March 2023 to August 2024, were released by Kilifi County Commissioner Josephat Biwott on Tuesday during an event to mark World Suicide Prevention Day, held at Kilifi Bridge on the Mombasa-Malindi highway.
The figures equate to about five people losing their lives to suicide every month in the county.
According to the report, Malindi sub-county topped the list with 15 suicides, followed by Kilifi South (14) and Kilifi North (10).
Of the 59 suicide cases, the majority were male, and only 11 were female.
Globally, 726,000 people take their own lives each year and many more attempt suicide, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
In Kenya, the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) found that 1,576 people died by suicide between 2017 and 2021. This equates to approximately 394 people per year over the four-year period.
According to the KNCHR, the data from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) and the National Police Service (NPS) is based on reported cases only.
KNCHR Chairperson Roseline Odede called on the government to take steps to improve data collection on suicide cases to address the challenges of suicide intervention.
"The Commission notes that the changing narrative requires systemic and structural changes as well as multi-sectoral interventions that prioritise a human rights approach to mental health," she said in a statement on Tuesday.
Addressing journalists in Kilifi, the county's Mental Health Officer Dr Nuru Kiberenge said suicide has become a major issue in the county and a serious conversation is needed.
"Suicide is a concern and an issue that affects Kilifi County in the health sector and the community because apart from losing a life, families are affected," she said.
Dr Kiberenge said youths and schoolchildren were among the suicide victims.
She said the county has deployed staff at various health facilities in five outpatient mental health clinics in Kilifi North, Ganze, Kilifi South, Malindi, Kaloleni and Magarini sub-counties.
"We have counsellors and psychologists spread across our health facilities. We are not many but we have started," she said.
Many people do not know where to seek help when they are going through challenges and opt for suicide, Dr Kiberenge said.
"Many people are going through mental health challenges because of the many problems they are going through including financial due to our poor economy, but they feel that no one would listen to them," she added.
Many young men and women have died by suicide by throwing themselves off the bridge into the Indian Ocean, while others have been rescued while attempting suicide.
Mr Job Monyoncho, the project officer at Basic Needs Basic Rights Kenya, said they were working with the Kilifi County government to promote mental health awareness at the grassroots.
The organisation is currently running mental health awareness programmes in Ganze, Magarini and Kaloleni sub-counties.
“We want the information on mental health to reach as many people in the community as possible because we see victims of mental health being chained in the houses while they are supposed to seek treatment in hospitals,” he said.
He urged families to stop associating mental health challenges with witchcraft.
Mr Monyoncho said they were also lobbying for more resources to be set aside for county mental health and disability inclusion initiatives.
