Men Suicide Cases on the Rise in Kilifi
By The COAST Reporter
Email, thecoastnewspaper@gmail.com
More men than women in Kilifi County are committing suicide, an issue that has raised red flag among civil societies and health officers in the region.
Statistic data obtained from the Kilifi County Commissioner’s office reveals that out of the 59 cases of people who died of suicide in 2023 to date majority are men.
Speaking during the World suicide prevention day in Kilifi town, Kilifi County Referral Hospital Mental health Supervisor Dk. Nuru Kibirige said most of the victims die of suicide by throwing at the Kilifi bridge while others hang themselves inside houses and trees.
She attributed the rise in suicide cases to the breakdown of families and inability to deal with life stresses such as economic hardship, unemployment, social isolation, chronic illness as well as retrogressive culture.
“We have never recorded such a high number of suicide cases before and this is not only alarming but a wake-up calls to all the stakeholders in the society,” she said.
Kibirige said Malindi sub-county is leading with 15 cases of people who died of suicide followed by Kilifi South with 14 cases.
Others are Kilifi North sub-county eleven, Kaloleni nine, Ganze seven, Magarini three and Rabai two respectively.
She narrated that the trend is of grave concerns and appealed for concerted efforts of addressing it.
“These figures are worrying, something urgent should be done to prevent such deaths. Secondly we must push for policies that promote mental health awareness, fund mental health services and provide training for health workers on how to handle mental health crises,” said KibirigeCivil.
Data from the Kenya Demographic and Health Survey 2023 showed suicide mortality rates in the country at 6.1 in every 100,000, with men taking the highest risk category.
The survey also showed that every year, more people die as a result of suicide than HIV, Malaria or breast cancer.
Job Monyoncho an officer from Basic Needs Basic Rights Kenya said the organization has been on the frontline in advocating mental health matters.
“As an organization, we have been training community health promoters, counselors and psychologists to provide accessible and affordable services to the people. This is primarily to combat suicide cases which has been on the rise,” said Monyoncho.
He said more men eliminate themselves because they don’t open up and shade their problems.
“Unlike women, men suffer silent when face major challenges in life which final prompt to committing suicide,” he revealed.
Monyoncho asked challenged families and friends to be close to those who show signs of withdrawal and help them seek help.
Edwin Kerito, a youth in Kilifi said depression occasioned by unemployment and economic hardship as the main problem facing many youths in Kilifi.
“Some of our youth when they failed to meet their financial obligations they become depressed and ending up taking their lives,” said Kerito.
He called for more counseling and awareness to prevent more suicide cases from occurring in the society.
