Suicide has become a growing concern in Kenya, with new data showing men are the most affected. Government officials are also worried that the numbers are sharply rising in Central Kenya. On Thursday, August 21, 2025, Rebecca Muhania, a chief from Katarakwa in Nyeri County, shed light on why more men are taking their own lives, citing family conflicts among the leading causes.
The revelation came amid rising suicide cases in the country, with the Ministry of Health reporting that men are five times more likely to die by suicide compared to women.
The issue of deaths by suicide came up during Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen’s Jukwaa la Usalama forum in Central Kenya, where a local chief explained some of the challenges pushing men to commit suicide, including domestic violence.
Kenyan Chief Explains Why Men are Dying by Suicide
Muhania noted that unresolved family conflicts, particularly cases where men face domestic abuse but are too embarrassed to speak out, often lead to suicide.
“The number one reason men are dying by suicide is family differences. There have also been issues with earnings, and many men do not want to take responsibility,” said the chief.
Chief Muhania further explained that men who suffer domestic abuse often fear ridicule if they reveal it to their friends or community leaders. Instead of receiving support, many are mocked, worsening their situation.
“When a man is being mistreated by his wife or children and seeks help from another man—maybe an officer or a neighbor—he is often ridiculed. He is told, ‘Look at a grown man being beaten by a woman.’ Instead of being given a chance to speak or be listened to, most are dismissed. Because they are not heard, many end up taking their own lives,” Muhania added.
Also Read: Attempted Suicide is No Longer a Crime in Kenya- Court Rules
Loneliness in old age is another trigger, especially when men are left alone in rural areas after their wives relocate to live with children in the city.
“Another problem comes when men reach around 50 years and above. Women often move to Nairobi or other towns to live with their children, leaving their husbands behind in the village. These men are left alone, unable to cook, fetch firewood, or draw water. They begin to feel their lives have lost meaning, and many end up committing suicide,” the chief explained.
On his part, Interior CS Kipchumba Murkomen expressed concern over the rising suicide cases in the Central Kenya region, describing it as a “very strange phenomenon.”
He noted that more people are taking their own lives due to different reasons, including family disputes and withdrawal from drug and alcohol abuse.
Murkomen added that he would engage the National Crime Research Centre, a department under his ministry, to conduct in-depth research to establish the real causes behind the trend.
“There is a higher number of people who are committing suicide, and the reasons are varying from family issues, to withdrawal from drug and alcohol abuse. I will be speaking to the National Crime Research Centre, which is a department within our ministry.
We need to facilitate them to do some research to tell us exactly what the real causes of these kinds of suicides that we see in this region generally are,” Murkomen stated.
Ministry of Health Report on Suicide
Globally, suicide is ranked among the three leading causes of death, with an estimated 703,000 people taking their own lives every year, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
In Kenya, about four people die by suicide daily, translating to a crude suicide rate of 6.1 per 100,000 and an age-standardized rate of 11.0 per 100,000.
Also Read: Family Reveals Final Moments Before Kin’s Suicide After Compensation Delays by KWS
A 2023 Ministry of Health report covering the period between 2018 and 2021 revealed that suicide deaths among men were significantly higher than among women.
According to the report, the Ministry noted several reasons for the higher suicide rates among men. These include:
- Peer Influence: Men are more likely to attempt suicide if they have friends who have also tried, showing the impact of peer pressure or shared struggles.
- Low Self-Esteem: Many men struggle with low self-worth, which greatly increases the risk of suicide.
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