In a heartbreaking incident, a 22-year-old student from Strathmore University met a tragic end after jumping from the fifth floor of Gateway Mall, located in Syokimau, Machakos County.
The mall's management disclosed to the media that the student had ascended to the rooftop on a fateful Tuesday night, where he made a devastating decision to leap from the height, plummeting to the ground floor below.
The impact of the fall proved fatal, and the young student lost his life on the spot. Witnesses at the scene promptly reported the harrowing incident to the Syokimau Police Station, prompting the dispatch of officers to investigate.
Subsequently, the lifeless body was respectfully transferred to Montezuma Funeral Home, where it awaits further investigations into the circumstances surrounding this tragic event.
As of now, the events leading up to this heartbreaking incident remain shrouded in mystery. Despite attempts to glean more information, the police sources referred to by the mall management had not responded at the time of publishing this report.
This unfortunate event adds to a concerning trend of university students taking their own lives, raising alarm bells among mental health professionals. The crisis in mental health extends beyond the student community, as evidenced by a similar incident just last week.
At Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology (JOOUST), a second-year student tragically jumped from an incomplete five-story building within the institution. His absence from morning classes raised concerns among friends, who later discovered his lifeless body adjacent to the unfinished structure.
The Kenya Demographic Health Survey of 2022 sheds light on the mental health landscape in the country, revealing that men aged 15-49 suffer from depression at a rate of 3.1 percent, while women of the same age bracket experience it at a slightly higher rate of 4 percent.
The underlying causes of these distressing incidents among youth include factors such as poverty, unemployment, the loss of loved ones, substance abuse, and relationship issues. The community at large continues to grapple with these challenges, emphasizing the pressing need for mental health support and awareness in Kenya.
