Makueni County is grappling with a rising number of suicide deaths that has left families devastated and communities searching for answers.

In Mbooni East Sub-county, the worst-affected area, authorities say five people died by suicide in September alone.

"Mbooni East Sub-county has lost five people to suicide in September alone. This trend is worrying," said Deputy County Commissioner Monica Kang'ethe.

A spot check by the Nation found that men aged between 30 and 50 appear to be the most affected by the crisis.

Seven months after losing both her son and husband to suicide, Florence Mutie is still struggling to come to terms with the double tragedy. The mother of three from Utwa Village breaks into tears as she struggles to understand how her family was devastated within days.

"It was tough," she told the Nation during an interview punctuated by sobs. "They did not even say bye."

The tragedy began when her son, Sammy Nyamai, 30, died in unclear circumstances in Meru Town. As relatives made burial arrangements at Utwa Village in Makueni County, the family was struck by another loss when his father, Peter Nthiwa, also died by suicide. The father and son were buried on the same day.

Among the latest victims was Francis Kaleli, a 38-year-old junior secondary school science teacher who died by suicide a week ago. The teacher at Kilungu Comprehensive School had been battling alcoholism, while former colleagues said he had also been struggling with frustrations at home.

His widow, Jennifer Musyoki, remembered him as a responsible man whose behaviour changed when he was drunk, sometimes becoming violent. Teachers at Kilungu Comprehensive School carried the casket bearing his remains during the burial at Sakai Village in Makueni County on October 6, 2026.

Authorities estimate that dozens of residents have died by suicide over the past year across the county. Mental health experts say the rising deaths point to a wider public health challenge linked to financial pressure, family wrangles, alcohol abuse and lack of mental health support systems.

Nationwide, four Kenyans die by suicide every day according to government data, with men accounting for the majority. Between June and August this year, 462 deaths were recorded nationally.