University student who was ‘stressed by exams’ commits suicide
A final year university student committed suicide on Sunday at elder sister’s house in Clay Works, Kasarani ahead of end of semester examinations beginning this week.
Edwin Mwaizi Igunza’s body was discovered by his sister Luize Minaywa Igunza after she arrived from their home in Kitale.
Beside his body was a jiko and a suicide note in which the deceased said that examination stress and fees was the reason for him to end his life.
The 23-year-old fourth year Mining Engineering student at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) had been left home alone to prepare for end of semester’s exams that were starting on Thursday.
LACK OF MONEY
He had mentioned to his sister that he was stressed, had lost appetite and had insomnia due to lack of money.
His sister thought she had solved the financial problem after giving him money and promising to give him more when she came back from home.
“I didn’t know that our dad had given him all school fees and upkeep money so I just gave him some money and promised to give him more for the hostel upon my return. We talked when I arrived at Nakuru and again when I got home and I notified him that dad wanted to see and talk to him,” Luize told Nairobi News.
Edwin promised to travel home and talk to his father after the exams.
He is reported to have had a conversation with one of his schoolmates mentioning how he was stressed with the looming exams.
SUICIDE NOTE
“I told him to relax and we started revising together but even then he kept saying that he was a failure and was thinking of committing suicide. We had a group discussion and encouraged him, telling him that he would do well in the exams but he kept mentioning a unit he needed to retake after getting a supplementary saying that he did not want to mess up his final chance and embarrass his father,” Edwin’s friend told Nairobi News.
After the discussions they parted ways and Edwin seemed to have been encouraged and in good spirits. But then on Saturday at 8pm he texted his sister asking her to take care of their parents.
“I called him back but his phone was off so I asked my neighbour and the caretaker to check on him and they said the door was locked. I informed my parents that I needed to travel back to Nairobi as soon as I could and we agreed I leave first thing in the morning. At 11pm Edwin texted mum and told her he was worthless and when she tried calling he was not picking up but he called back at 1pm telling her ‘tutaonana Mungu akipenda’ and before he switched off his phone,” Luize said.
She then embarked on her journey back to Nairobi very early and on arrival at 2pm she found the door was locked from inside.
“I called the caretaker and we broke in only to find him lying dead with a jiko next to him and with all windows closed. On my bed there was a suicide note,” Luize recounted.