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A hotel worker who is due to pay the money he owed to another man has chosen to end his life in a tragic way just few hours before police were to arrest him for the debt.
Residents watch as police remove the body of Gideon Njema at his house on Tuesday, July 5
Daily Nation Kenya has exclusively reported that a 32-year-old man from Karanja village in Matuga Sub County in the country committed suicide after a person he owes Sh2500 reported him to police.
The victim identified as Gideon Njema, who was a waiter at Rehema Hotel in Kwale Town, used a wire to hang himself on Monday, July 4, which is the deadline for him to pay the debt or risk being arrested.
The hotel owner, Mbwika Nzuki, said the victim was served with a letter from the police on Monday morning and he promised to pay the amount by 3:00pm, and at 3:30pm, the deceased excused himself from work before official time only to be informed of his employee’s demise on Tuesday morning.
"According to me the main reason for his action is the money and the fact that the matter had been reported to police," Nzuki told reporters on Tuesday.
The hotel owner identified the man who was owed as a Mutunga who works at the office of adult education and who is a regular customer at the hotel, adding that before the incident occurred, Mutunga asked him whether Njema had been paid his salary and unknowingly, he told him the salary was paid long time ago.
"I normally pay them Sh5000 per month but there are those who prefer to be paid on weekly basis or after every two weeks but he preferred to be paid during the end of the month," he said.
The deceased landlord, Edward Mtitika, he was informed about the incident by neighbours who saw blood flowing from the door openings, said he was a peaceful man.
"This incident has taken us by surprise because he has been staying here for more than 5 years and all along he has been coexisting so well with others," Mtitika said, adding that the deceased recently came to his house and asked for Sh100 to visit his ailing father whom he said had been hospitalized at Kinango hospital.
Matuga OCPD Patrick Oduma, who confirmed the incident said investigations have been launched to ascertain the cause of his death. The body was removed and taken to Msambwei referral hospital mortuary. .
