At least 483 people committed suicide in the last three months according to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI).

According to DCI Boss George Kinoti, the number is alarming and the highest to be recorded in the country.

“We have never recorded such a high number of suicides before and this is not only alarming but calls for urgent remedial measures,” said DCI boss George Kinoti.

According to the the  data compiled between April  and June 2021 by the Department of Operations at DCI, Central Kenya leads with 181 suicide cases followed by Rift Valley Region.

Kiambu County toopped the list of counties with the highest number of suicides (109), followed by Murang’a with 37 cases, Kisii (25), Kakamega (24), Nyeri (21), Kisumu (21), Embu (20) Uasin Gishu (18) while Nakuru, Makueni and Bomet recorded 17 cases each.

The report further revealed 409 cases of life-threatening assaults, mostly among couples, during the same period (between March and June 2021).

The youngest person reported to have committed suicide within this period was nine years while the oldest was 76 years old.

Findings indicate men are more prone to committing suicide than women.