Man found dead after wife failed to cook chicken

Authorities in Kenya are looking into the death of a man who is said to have committed suicide following an alleged argument with his wife about how to prepare chicken at their house in Uriri, Migori County.

According to reports, John Rugala, 45, barricaded himself inside their home before allegedly lighting it on fire.

The marital dispute began when Rugala’s wife refused to make him chicken, according to witnesses who called the police at the site. The event is still under investigation.

Further protests were sparked when the lady apparently claimed that the chicken was intended for their daughter during the confrontation.

After the conversation, the deceased allegedly told his wife to leave the area before killing himself. Locals hurried to put out the fire, but despite their best efforts, they were unsuccessful.

In the meantime, the police have moved the deceased’s body to the morgue of the Migori Level Four Hospital.

Police are also investigating a case of suspected suicide involving a 66-year-old man who reportedly plunged into a borehole in a different event in Molo, Nakuru County.

Authorities went to Peter Wanderi’s home after hearing that he had previously threatened to jump into the family’s water supply in order to commit suicide.

Tragically, on July 3, Wanderi made good on his threats, and his body was later pulled from the 25-foot borehole. The corpse will be sent to the mortuary, where a post-mortem examination will be performed.

Law enforcement authorities are concerned about the surge in suicide cases, which they ascribe to societal stress and mental discomfort. With an average of three occurrences each day, documented suicide events in Kenya have significantly increased. 499 instances were reported to the police in 2019, and 575 in 2020. Unsettlingly, at least 313 people committed suicide between January and July 2021 alone. According to police records, men make up the bulk of the victims.

The World Health Organization (WHO) lists a number of factors that can lead to suicide, including being unemployed, having a failing relationship, academic pressures, legal and financial issues, bullying, having attempted suicide in the past, having a family member who has attempted suicide, abusing alcohol and other drugs, being depressed, and having bipolar disorder. Each year, almost 800,000 people die by suicide worldwide, with low- and middle-income nations accounting for roughly 78% of all suicide deaths.