A middle-aged man has died after he reportedly jumped into the Indian Ocean on Wednesday morning, April 7 at the Nyali bridge, Mombasa County.
According to a witness, the deceased jumped off the bridge at around 6 am and died within 30 minutes.
"At around 6 am, I was passing by the bridge when I heard a commotion. I asked one onlooker what was happening and he was not able to respond. After 30 minutes, a body floated on the water and we got closer to have a look.
The body was of a middle-aged man, partially bitten off by fish. We called the police who came here to retrieve the body," narrated Emilia Akule Agnes, a witness.
The police and fire brigade arrived at the scene and retrieved the body that was floating meters from the bridge. According to the Emilia, the man is not the first to commit suicide at the bridge, a lot of people park vehicles at the spot and jump into the ocean.
In the past month, the number of bodies of children retrieved from the ocean at Nyali Bridge has increased. The rise in suicide case has been attributed to increased stress levels and poor mental health.
The body was taken to Makadara Hospital mortuary as the police try to establish the identity of the deceased and the reason for suicide.
Residents suggested that the bridge should be manned by police officers to reduce the number of suicide cases reported there.
Nyali Bridge is a 396-meter long concrete girder bridge connecting the city of Mombasa on the Island to the mainland. it crosses Tudor Creek to the northeast side of the island.
In Kenya, 1,442 people were reported to have attempted suicide between 2015 and 2018. The Kenya National Police Service annual crime reports reveal that the figures for the crime of attempted suicide are higher and ranked second to murder in the homicide category.
According to the 2020 KNBS Economic Survey, 196 cases were reported in 2019. The figures also revealed that the number was four times higher for men when compared to women.
"These figures provide a conservative picture on the magnitude of suicide since only a fraction of cases are reported while an even bigger number contemplate suicide," Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) said in September 2020.
Depression, debts, jilted love, drug abuse, and the harsh economy were cited as the major causes for suicide.
