Residents of Slota estate in Athi River, Machakos county, were on Monday shocked after a 20-year-old man’s body was found hanging from the roof of his house.
Peter Muthoka’s body was discovered by his neighbours. It was dangling from the roof of his single, rented mabati house at Kwa Mombasa area. He had a cloth tied on his neck and legs. His bedding was socked with fresh blood when police went to remove the body.
The body was taken to Shalom Community Hospital by officers from Athi River police station.
Athi River chief Cecilia Nzioka said the man was suspected to have committed suicide.
“I wonder why the young man decided to end his life. He left no suicide note. Police have launched investigations into the incident,” Nzioka said.
The deceased’s wife who identified herself as Sarah Johnson said she had gone to the market and returned home to meet her husband of three-months dead.
“I don’t know why my husband has committed suicide. I had gone to the market only to find him dead,” Sarah said.
She said they had been living together but had no child.
“I found the door and window locked from inside when I returned home from the market but he never opened the door when I knocked. I called his phone which he never picked despite hearing it ring in the house,” Sarah said.
Neighbours helped Sarah to break the door to access the house only to find her husband’s body hanging from the roof.
A woman confessed fighting with the deceased over ownership of a 20-litre jerry can outside his house hours before his death.
“I fought with him over a jerry can that he claimed was his. We even fell down on the ground before he was injured on the hand by a metal of a bicycle he uses to vend milk. He bled on the arm before closing himself inside his house,” the woman said.
Sarah and other neighbours confirmed the fight, disclosing that it had occurred before she left for the market. The deceased, they all said, was drunk during the fight.
Neighbours who sought anonymity for fear of victimisation confirmed helping the wife break the door to gain access to the house before the body was discovered.
They also confessed helping Sarah wash blood from the premise’s pavement that resulted from the deceased’s bleeding.
Sarah said she washed blood from his clothes before leaving for the market.
Edited by Henry Makori