A 72-year-old patient shot himself dead while waiting to be attended to in a hospital in South B.
Identified by authorities as Abdala Mohamed, the man was reported to have been rushed to the emergency section of the hospital on February 26 a few minutes before the incident.
However, when Abdala arrived at the hospital, he was informed that the medication he required was not in stock at that particular moment and he therefore had to wait.
He became restless and angry and began making calls while still at the waiting area. He passed on while being attended to by the medical practitioners at the hospital.
Witnesses recounted that he suddenly pulled out a Berreta pistol and shot himself in the chin, blowing up his head. Police indicated that he was a licensed firearm holder.
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Events Before the Patient Shot Himself
Abdala is reported to have come from an appointment with his lawyer on the fateful day.
Later, he requested a cab from a familiar driver and asked him to drive him to the hospital in South B. The driver rushed out calling for help when the 72-year-old shot himself.
Unfortunately, he died shortly after.
At the same time, police officers on the case said that it was not yet clear what ailment the man had or the kind of medication he was looking for.
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It was not clear what Mohamed was ailing from and the kind of medication he was looking for.
CJ Martha Koome on Suicide
In October 2023, Chief Justice Martha Koome proposed a law that ensured that individuals who survive attempted suicide received health support instead of serving a jail term.
In the Penal Code (Amendment) 2023, the Chief Justice proposed repealing section 226 of the Penal Code which classifies attempted suicide as a misdemeanor.
“Any person who attempts to kill himself is guilty of a misdemeanor,” reads the Penal Code.
According to the Act, anyone found guilty of attempting suicide risks a jail term of up to two years or a fine or both.
The move was welcome by many human rights organizations including the Kenya National Human Rights Commission (KNHRC), which had asked the Adhoc Committee on the Proliferation of Religious Organizations to decriminalize suicide attempts.
