A suicidal man was saved from the wrath of a mob at the intersection of Nairobi's Kimathi Street and Kenyatta Avenue when his attempt to take his life failed on Monday, January 13.
In a video seen by Kenyans.co.ke, the unidentified man who refers to himself as Jesus a number of times is captured atop a street light pole near the Sarova Stanley Hotel with a rope around his neck tied to the pole.
"Mimi ni Yesu, nakuja nyumbani (I am Jesus, I am coming back home)," he shouts as he gestures towards the skies much to the amusement of the gathering crowd that taunts him daring him to go through with his suicide attempt.
Moments slides from his grip of the pole as the video cuts into the man finding his feet at the foot of the pole.
Onlookers attempt to seize him as he repels their advances shouting "Ni nini? Mimi ni Yesu! (What? I am Jesus)" repeatedly as the mob advances towards him somewhat trapping him in the middle.
A scuffle ensues as onlookers describe how what they identified as Nairobi County askaris wrestled the man with little success.
The mob finally gets their hands on the man and attack him before policemen appear at the scene and save him from their wrath.
This is not without the rugged-looking man putting up a fight that sees a policeman fall to the ground.
He is finally apprehended with the help of the mob as the crowd disperses between bouts of whispers about the fragility of life and speculation on what could have let the man to attempt taking his own life in broad daylight.
The incident came barely a week after a man committed suicide by jumping off a fourth-floor balcony at Adlife Plaza in Kilimani Nairobi.
Initial reports had indicated that the man identified as Richard Wangai had just lost a hefty amount at a casino located in the building but CCTV footage confirmed that he had not stepped foot on the fifth floor of the building where the casino is located.
Frederick Wekesa, a research officer at the African Population Health Research Centre (APHRC) lists previous suicide attempts, drug abuse disorders, life catastrophes such as financial crises, experiencing conflict, disaster, violence, abuse, or loss and a sense of isolation as well as negative use of social media and cyberbullying as some of the risk factors for suicide.
"What is undeniable however is the clear link between suicide and mental disorders, particularly, depression. In 2017, a WHO report ranked Kenya as the sixth African country with the highest levels of depression with at least 1.9 million diagnosed Kenyans suffering from depression," Wekesa writes.
"The World Health Organisation (WHO) reports that the number of suicides reported in Kenya rose by 58% 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," a report authored by Juliet Atellah on The Elephant reads.
Below is the video courtesy of the Daily Nation:
