A form three student has tragically died in a house fire at his aunt’s home in Kathataini village, Kirinyaga East, in what neighbours and family members suspect was an electrical accident.
According to residents, Cliff Macharia had been struggling with mental health issues and had been on medication. On the night of the fire, it is alleged that he was tampering with electrical lines before the blaze broke out.
Macharia’s uncle explained that the teenager had recently been discharged from a hospital in Kerugoya and was brought to the aunt’s home so that she could take care of him and ensure he took his medication.
“After he was discharged, my brother brought him here to stay with my sister so she could monitor how he takes his medication. Our biggest hope was that the drugs would help, but he kept running away. I struggled to manage him and eventually called his father to come and help,” the uncle stated.
The family said that his father had been supervising him at night, calming and comforting him until late hours. On the day of the fire, Macharia had reportedly taken his medication with his father after supper and was left in his house by his father, who closed his door.
“We suspect that since the place had power, he may have tampered with the lines,” the uncle added.
A cousin of the deceased reported that while his uncle was patrolling the shamba at night, he noticed a fire at a neighbouring home. He immediately crossed over and woke his aunt, but by the time they arrived, the flames were too strong to control.
Attempts to put out the fire were unsuccessful, and tragically, the boy had already suffocated inside.
“When my uncle was patrolling the shamba at night, he saw a fire in the neighbouring home. He crossed over and woke up my aunt, but by then the flames were too strong. They tried to put it out, but unfortunately, the boy had suffocated inside.”
A resident of the area also noted that locals attempted to control the fire but were overwhelmed by the intensity.
“Up to now, we have been waiting for the police to carry the body. We suspect it was an electrical fault, possibly caused by the boy messing with the lines,” the resident said.
The tragic incident adds to a growing list of incidents pointing to a broader mental health crisis in Kenya. According to the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) and the National Police Service (NPS), an estimated 1,576 suicide deaths were recorded over four years, averaging about four deaths per day.
Young adults and males were particularly vulnerable. Men were reported to have a five times higher completed suicide rate than women, while individuals aged 25–44 were among the most at risk.
Experts cite stigma, lack of mental health services, and criminalisation of attempted suicide as factors that prevent early intervention, although reforms such as the Mental Health (Amendment) Act of 2022 now focus on treatment and care.
Counsellors, medics, and psychologists recommend seeking help whenever you experience any mental health issue. Call the Kenya Red Cross toll-free hotline, 1199, for support.
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