Detectives are actively investigating a tragic incident in Mwiki, Kasarani, Nairobi, where the body of a university student was discovered hanging in his room following his death by suicide. Authorities have confirmed that the deceased, Cliff Asmund Oroko, a 22-year-old third-year student at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, was pursuing a degree in Financial Engineering.
On January 20, 2026, police found Cliff hanging on a wall adjacent to a local chief’s camp. A suicide note retrieved from his pocket did not clarify the motive behind his actions. However, police indicated that the note contained his final wishes, which have since been handed over to his family. Notably, Cliff lived alone at the time of his death.
Authorities have notified the victim’s relatives about this heartbreaking event and are diligently examining the circumstances surrounding it. The body has been transported to the mortuary, where it awaits an autopsy.
This incident marks the most recent in a concerning trend, with police reporting a total of five suicide cases on January 20 alone, all of which remain under investigation. A majority of the victims in these cases have been men.
In another incident, a 48-year-old woman named Anna Waithera was found dead by suicide in her room in Githioro, Nakuru County. The motive behind her tragic decision remains unclear, and her body has also been moved to the mortuary for further procedures.
Additionally, in Itabua, Embu County, Silas Kamau, a 58-year-old psychiatric patient, drowned in a plastic water tank in an apparent suicide attempt. His body was recovered from the family water tank and taken to the mortuary pending an autopsy.
The rise in suicide cases poses significant challenges, affecting the families and friends of the victims profoundly. The World Health Organization attributes these incidents to various factors, including unemployment, personal loss, academic pressures, legal challenges, and financial strain. Other contributing factors include bullying, previous suicide attempts, familial history of suicide, alcoholism, substance misuse, depression, and bipolar disorder.
The government is committed to implementing measures aimed at addressing this pressing issue.
