Nairobi man commits suicide after he was diagnosed with cancer

A noose. A 37-year-old man in Nairobi's Mukuru-Kaiyaba slum allegedly committed suicide after learning he had cancer. PHOTO | FILE | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • The victim was diagnosed with gastrointestinal cancer, his friend said.

A 37-year-old man has stunned residents after he committed suicide after learning he had cancer.

Ms Agnes Mueni, a neighbour, said the man had asked his wife to bring him yoghurt from a nearby shop, only for her to return and find the door locked from the inside.

The wife notified her neighbours, who broke down the door and found the man's body hanging from the roof.

Josphat Musyoka, who said he was a friend of the victim, said the man was recently hospitalised at the Kenyatta National Hospital where he was diagnosed with cancer.

"He was diagnosed with gastrointestinal cancer and asked to return to the hospital after two weeks, " Mr Musyoka said.

The victim worked as a cashier at a scrap metal yard situated on Enterprise Road in Industrial Area.

Commenting on the incident, Mukuru-Kaiyaba slum chairman Jacob Abraham advised residents not to take their own lives when they are overwhelmed by challenges and instead seek advice from religious leaders.