Tragedy as businessman shoots himself inside his car in Lang'ata

 

Police are investigating an incident in which a businessman shot and killed himself in his car, in what appears to be a suicide in Sunvalley estate, Lang'ata, Nairobi.

Abraham Meli had locked himself in his four-wheel drive car- a Prado- and suffered a fatal gunshot wound to the head.

The motive of the incident is yet to be known, police said.

Meli is a former military personnel and was a licensed gun holder, his family and police said.

He was rushed to St Mary’s Hospital where he was declared dead upon police arrival.

His pistol was found in the car where he had shot himself and taken to safe custody, police said.

Police said he had sent a text message to a relative reading “Sunvalley”. This is the same place he stayed.

Police said they are investigating the tragedy to determine the motive. His friends and family seek to understand the motivation behind his actions.

His body was transported to the mortuary awaiting autopsy. Police said they are now treating the incident as a suicide.

This marks the most recent reported case of suicide.

A similar incident happened at the Matter Hospital where a businessman waiting to be attended to at the emergency section shot himself in the head and died.

He was also a licensed gun holder. The case is pending under probe.

Police say cases of suicide have been on the rise amid calls for action to address the same.

There were 174 cases of suicide reported in 2020 as compared to 196 in 2019, 302 in 2018, 421 in 2017 and 302 in 2016. The majority of the victims were male, police reports say.

Police say the trend has been worrying and increasing as up to two cases are reported daily.

The World Health Organisation says such cases are attributed to joblessness, death, academic failures or pressures, legal difficulties and financial difficulties.

Other reasons are bullying, previous suicide attempts, history of suicide in a family, alcoholism and substance misuse, depression and bipolar disorder.

WHO rates suicide as a serious global public health issue that is among the top 20 leading causes of death worldwide.

Kenya ranks position 114 among the 175 countries with the highest suicide rates.

by CYRUS OMBATI