Maragua trader kills herself after complaining of rising debts
Shocked residents look into the well in Maragua town where the body of a businesswoman was discovered on January 27, 2021. It is suspected she committed suicide.
A 37-year-old trader committed suicide on Tuesday night in Maragua town, Murang'a County, after spending her last three days complaining of dwindling business and mounting debts as a result of the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.
It is reported she complained that her Sh300,000 capital had sunk and she had a Sh200,000 loan which was in default for five months and had started receiving service demand letters.
Identified as Carol, the woman is reported to have tricked her sister, who she stayed with, telling her that she had an important business meeting with a neighbour in their residential plot.
"Since it was not the first time she was announcing such impromptu meetings within the plot and would end up showing up the next morning, I had no reason to be suspicious," the sister said.
One of her shoes and mobile phone were later found by a tenant who had woken up to draw water from a well.
Became suspicious
The tenant said he became suspicious and, upon peeping into the well, he saw the woman’s body floating.
"I became very scared. I was torn between bolting from the scene and screaming. I thought it would be suspected that I was involved in her falling into the well. But I had not even decided what to do when I screamed and neighbours came," the male tenant said.
According to Maragua Division Assistant County Commissioner Joshua Okello, investigations have been launched to ascertain the cause and circumstances of the death.
"The preliminary suspicion is that she committed suicide. But you can never be too sure in the absence of a medical report based on a conclusive situational analysis," Mr Okello said.
The body was taken to Murang'a County Hospital mortuary.
