University Student Who Set Himself Ablaze Dies

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A 27-year-old engineering student who set himself ablaze in an attempt to commit suicide  has passed on.

Haki Africa Rapid Response officer, Mathias Shipeta, said Robert Gituru died at the Coast General Hospital’s Intensive Care Unit (ICU) on Friday morning.

Shipeta further confirmed that the deceased’s family had arrived in Mombasa following the tragedy.

The family members told the officer that the Technical University of Mombasa (TUM) student was battling mental illness at the time of the shocking incident.

“He has been battling mental illness and on so many occasions he kept on complaining that life had become unbearable for him and he saw no need to live,” Shipeta said.

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He further called on police to bring to book a man who was caught on camera aiding Gituru to take his own life.

“There is a video which has been widely circulated of a man who now should be treated as a suspect. He assisted the deceased in committing suicide by passing over a matchbox which had fallen off after he climbed on a pillar at the Jomo Kenyatta avenue,” he noted.

Mombasa County chief fire officer, Ibrahim Basafr, yesterday said Gituru suffered 80 per cent burns after he doused himself with paraffin and set himself ablaze in Mwembe Tayari.

The student was rescued by well-wishers moments after his body went up in flames.

“He set himself ablaze and began to burn. A huge crowd that had gathered helped in putting out the fire that had consumed part of his flesh,” he said.

Basafar noted that preliminary investigations indicate the student purchased paraffin and set himself ablaze due to a lack of pocket money.

“We have since established that one of the reasons for setting himself ablaze was due to lack of pocket money to sustain his life while at the University. He was unable to get menial jobs hence he had lost hope and decided to commit suicide,” he noted.

Gituru’s family had reported the deceased missing from their Limuru home, three days ago.

They are now planning to ferry their kin’s body to Limuru ahead of burial preparations.