The family of a prison warden attached to Kodiaga Prison in Kisumu is mourning the sudden death of their kin who passed away on Wednesday, March 23, after he turned his gun on himself.
Confirming the incident, Kisumu County Commander, Alphonse Peters, noted that investigations into the matter have since commenced.
The deceased is believed to have shot himself at 11:30pm while on duty. He was guarding the prison's main gate when a gunshot was heard.
His colleague told the press that they suspected the deceased was suffering from mental health-related complications for months leading to the incident.
“It’s true he shot himself and could be a mental problem,” Capital FM quoted a source.
The incident comes even as mental health-related complications in the country continue to rise at an alarming rate, a situation experts say has been worsened by the deteriorating state of the economy.
Towards the end of 2021, the country was hit by a wave of police suicides as well as homicides. Several officers had also recorded videos of themselves demanding to be relieved of their duties over stress imposed on them by the nature of their work.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), one in every four Kenyans who seek medical attention in Kenya often suffers from mental health.
The organisation, however, noted that the country was working to ensure that the disease is given the attention it deserves.
"Depression is common and there are increasing rates of substance and alcohol use disorders.
"While the country does not currently have a specific budget for mental health, the good news is that Kenya established a Mental Health Taskforce last year (2021)," read the report published in May 2021.
