In Kinangop, a woman reportedly killed herself 50 days after her son, a 6-year-old boy, passed away.
It is believed that she killed herself by locking herself in her room with a charcoal stove and succumbing to carbon monoxide poisoning.
On Monday morning, Cecy Gaitho’s sister, who had gone to wake her up, discovered that she had passed away in her room.
Martin died on June 5, and Cecy reportedly battled bitterly for a long time to find something to distract her from her sorrow. He was crushed by a concrete culvert pipe at a road construction in Kidfarmaco, Kikuyu.
According to reports, she spent the better part of her time in denial and kept repeating that she had no reason to live after losing her son and couldn’t withstand going through the legal system to seek redress.
“I was so powerless. The construction company is not even cooperative as we attempt to follow up with them regarding their negligence. It would be too traumatic to think that I would have to go through a court process for his justice. I alternate between empty, helpless, and lost feelings. I keep hoping that my baby will return “On July 14, she posted to her Facebook account.
Cecy’s close friends claimed they frequently dropped by her house; the most recent was on Saturday when they allegedly spent the entire day together before departing for Nairobi in the late afternoon.
One of them made the decision to stay behind with Cecy but left on Sunday night, leaving her all by herself.
“To keep her from being alone, we tried taking her out. We paid her as many visits as we could. From the time the baby passed away until last Sunday evening, one of us practically lived with her at her house. They shared a bed and a room, and Cecy didn’t commit suicide until the woman had left “The Nation was informed by a close friend of the deceased.
“Cecy was okay; she even made dinner for her parents. At 11:38 p.m., she posted some pictures on her WhatsApp status, and we laughed at her. Between morning and midnight, she completed it.”
Veronica Kinuthia, a counseling psychologist and the executive director of the Kenya Counselling and Psychological Association, said that Cecy’s grief was only intensifying and that cases like hers are typically seen among single parents who have lost children.
“She was crushed by the boy’s passing because he was everything to her. If what she had lived for was gone, she must have questioned why she should continue to live. When a single parent loses a child, they typically experience that “Veronica said.
“Additionally, there are social stigmas and feelings of regret that she could have done more to protect her child. Game of blame, denial, and refusal to let go may have exacerbated her grief “She spoke.
