Police in Kisumu are investigated a suspected suicide case where an 11-year-old boy from Odunga slums is said to have hanged himself using his father’s belt after being excluded from a routine market trip.
The incident reported on Monday is said to have occurred on Sunday.
The boy’s father, Peter Omondi, said the deceased had been left behind to watch over his sibling.
“You know children if they hear you want to go somewhere, they all want to go with you, so we told him to remain, he will join us the next day,” he said.
Omondi said he never thought something would happen after turning down his son’s request.
Omondi said upon reaching the market at Moi Stadium he was called by a neighbor to rush back home where he found the lifeless body of his son lying on a chair in the living room.
“I got a call once I had arrived at the market, I came and found my son lying on the chair, dead,” he said.
His wife, Grace Atieno, whom he accompanied to the market, said she was told by her younger child that the deceased had hanged himself using his dad’s belt.
“My son wanted to accompany me, but I told him he had not bathed, and I promised to tag him along next time,” she said restating her husband’s account of the events which transpired.
Police officers moved the deceased to Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital Mortuary for postmortem examination as investigations kicked off.