Shock and grief have engulfed Ngariama Village in Gichugu, Kirinyaga County, after the body of a 16-year-old Form Three student was found hanging from a macadamia tree under unclear circumstances.

According to residents and relatives, the body of Eric Munene Kiura was discovered early in the morning by a passerby who immediately raised the alarm. The boy’s uncle, Joseph Muchira, was among the first to arrive at the scene.

“I was ferrying hay home when a man ran towards me screaming,” Muchira recounted. “He led me to where Eric was hanging. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. I have been supporting him through secondary school, hoping he would build a bright future.”

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Eric’s father, Christopher Kiura, arrived moments later after being informed by the village elder while at Ngariama shopping centre.

“When Murage called, I thought something had happened to my house,” Kiura said emotionally. “I never imagined my only child was gone.”

Kiura revealed that his son was a Form Three student at Kianyaga Boys High School. “We didn’t speak much last night, but we had breakfast together this morning. He looked happy,” he said.

Local residents, led by Kiamutugu boda boda chairman James Waweru Gikuyu, have urged police to conduct thorough investigations to determine whether the teenager was killed or took his own life.

Kirinyaga East (Gichugu) Sub-County Police Commander Johnson Wachira confirmed the incident, stating that preliminary reports suggest suicide. “The body has been moved to Kibugi Funeral Home awaiting a postmortem,” he said.

Residents of Kiamutugu and Ngariama expressed concern over the rising number of suicide cases in the area, especially among the youth.

“We know the boy had been living with his father after his parents separated, but we are deeply worried about the increasing cases of suicide,” said resident Susan Muthoni. “Mental health challenges and socioeconomic pressures have become significant public health concerns in this region.”

Police have launched investigations into the incident.