Teacher dies by suicide after allegedly losing students' trip funds to betting

A teacher in Naivasha has died by suicide after losing Sh40,000 that was meant for an end-of-term trip for students, through betting.

The 26-year-old teacher took his life by hanging, forcing the management of Unity High School to cancel the long-awaited trip.

In the last couple of weeks, the lakeside town has recorded an increase in cases of suicide mainly involving students and the youth.

In the latest incident, the teacher was appointed by the school administration to organise transport for the students and was given the cash.

Naivasha GBV Cluster group Chairperson John Kinuthia said the teacher had already gotten buses to ferry the students to Nairobi.

However, things changed when the teacher failed to show up for the trip, forcing the management to establish his whereabouts.

“Teachers went to his house in Mountain View where the body was found, and investigation established that he had died by suicide after losing the cash through betting,” he said.

Kinuthia decried the rising cases of suicide among the young people in Naivasha, noting that more than 50 people had so far died in the lakeside town since the year began.

“We are deeply perturbed by the rising cases of suicide among school-going children, and most of the cases are due to family wrangles and substance abuse,” he said.

He regretted that unlike past incidents where adults were taking their lives, minors had joined in raising fear and anxiety among parents.

“We have seen a spike in the number of incidents where both primary and secondary school students are taking their lives and this trend is worrying,” he said.

Naivasha DCIO Isaac Kiama said that the teacher first tried taking his life using a rope, and when this failed he turned to a wire.

Kiama revealed that initial investigations pointed to suicide as the teacher did not have the courage to face his employer, parents and students after losing transport cash through betting.

“The school had given him some cash to organise for transport of the students, but he allegedly lost this to betting, forcing him to take his life,” he said.

Kiama said the body was removed to Naivasha sub-county hospital mortuary and an inquest file opened.