A Twitter user Hope Mwinzi (@hopemwinzi) shared a thread about a man who attempted suicide in Nairobi today.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) reports that the number of suicides reported in Kenya rose by 58 per cent between 2008 and 2017 to reach 421. Out of the 421 suicide cases in 2017, 330 involved men compared to 91 women. On average, 317 people commit suicide every year.
Below is the sad story:
So today in Nairobi. A man (looked around mid 40s) walked into a neighboring agrovet asked for an insecticide ( Benzene Hexachloride) and whilst the counter lady was looking for a cheaper brand as per his request. He proceeded to open the bottle and guzzle it
He gulped most of the bottle before anyone could réalise /react to the scene what was going on and then gave the counter lady his suicide note and walked out. A few feet outside the door he begins convulsing, foaming fighting a violent death…
All these security guards on the street rushed to him. The people from the Agrovet by this time had gotten over shock called out an alarm. A nearby Kiosk gave out milk. Four passing men + security guards tried pin him down trying to put milk into him…
He fought violently… The convulsions were crazy throwing him into the air. The men couldn’t hold him down until he fainted. Looking like the death he wanted so badly had come. BUT nope! Today wasn’t his day. Another good Samaritan offers his car they fling him in…
The agrovet owner jumps into the car and they go to nearest medical centre 300 meters away. She notices that all this time the man had been clutching another bottle of rat poison(not bought from her shop). He gets first aid. Stomach pumped and as we speak he’s still alive
So in between the men pinning him down and him being rushed to centre was about 25 min. Everyone around called Emergency nos/police etc. Not a single no went through. Also two APs stopped by the scene due to the commotion but they said they couldn’t assist. The looked helpless.
In fact one asked why haven’t you called Emergency services and called the nos but they still didn’t go through. The cops left and said there’s nothing they can do for a man who wants to die this badly.
Even more intreseting is that opposite all this drama is a heavily secured government building with heavily armed military. Zero help or reaction. That man is alive due to the Grace of God and many Kenyans who assisted.
I’m praying for this man and all other men and every Kenyan in gêneral, carrying such heavy burdens/ can’t cope in this nerve wrecking times we are living in. In a country where there’s system failure everywhere.
