A man who tried to take his own life in a tuktuk and later died at a hospital in Mombasa County was troubled, his widow told Nation.Africa on Monday.
Ms Regina Maneeno said that a day before Mr Mutavi Muteti died, he asked their children to step out so he could talk to her in private as he was stressed.
“He was shouting at me and I just kept quiet. I did not respond to him. He had a habit of drinking alcohol,” Ms Maneeno recalled.
Last Thursday, Mr Muteti left home at around 5am for town, where he worked as a tuktuk driver.
“He went to work that morning and later in the evening I received a phone call that he had been found breathing heavily and rushed to a hospital,” Ms Maneeno added.
A police report said members of the public found Mr Muteti in a tuktuk at 5.30pm in Tudor Kiziwi.
He was in the passengers’ compartment and was frothing from the mouth.
A 100ml bottle of a liquid identified as TriTek was found near the tuktuk, and police suspect Mr Muteti could have taken poison.
“After searching for the ownership of the tuktuk, it was established it belongs to one Mohamud Mohamed, who confirmed the victim to be his driver,” the report says.
Mr Muteti was rushed to Coast General Teaching and Referral Hospital, where he died.
“Mr Muteti, who had earlier on been reported to have attempted to [to take his own life] by taking poison and was admitted at Coast General Teaching and Referral Hospital in a critical condition died on Sunday at 10am while undergoing treatment …,” read a follow-up report filed by his widow.
A postmortem exam will be conducted today to establish the cause of death.
Separately, police have beefed up security in Bora Moyo village in
Tana River County following grazing disputes between farmers and pastoralists.
Last Friday, police from the Zamam patrol base shot and injured two herders, whose cattle were found grazing on a farm.
It was established that a confrontation between the police, members of the public and two herders had led to the shooting incident.
A police report said two herders – Mr Aden Hussein and Noor Darar – were grazing their cattle on Mr Brandon Omara’s farm.
Witnesses told detectives that two officers on patrol intervened and found the herders in possession of pangas and Somali swords, prompting them to shoot at the herders.
Mr Omara was injured in the face and shoulders. Mr Darar, 19, suffered a gunshot wound, while Mr Hussein was injured in his face.
The injured were treated at Kipini Health Centre, while Mr Darar was referred to Mpeketoni Sub-County Hospital for further treatment.
Confrontations between herders and farmers have been reported recently in other parts of Kenya. One case was that of a rancher hacked to death in Kekyaa village, Kitui County.
A farmer identified as Mutuku Mwango was killed by herders from a neighbouring county.
On Sunday, President William Ruto ordered local administrators to end farmer-pastoralist conflicts in Kitui that had led to loss of lives and property.
“I am directing the regional commissioner, county police boss and county commissioner to deal with this insecurity in Kitui,” President Ruto said. BY DAILY NATION