The National Assembly has received a petition to repeal the law that charges and prosecutes suspects of attempted suicide.
In his petition, the Dean of Medical college East Africa at Aghakhan University Lukoye Atwoli explained that prosecuting suspects who have attempted to commit suicide fails to address the underlying mental health issues.
The professor said that it creates stigma and shame for a person who has suicidal behaviour, making it difficult to prevent such cases.
According to the petitioner, Kenya remains one of the few countries that still criminalises attempted suicide referring to other countries that allow mentally ill patients to access the medical treatment services they require.
In a breakdown, the professor said that prosecuting such persons violates Article 43 of the Constitution which states that every person has the right to the highest attainable standard of health, which includes the right to health care services, including reproductive health care and a person shall not be denied emergency medical treatment.
According to Section 226 of the Penal Code any person who attempts to kill himself is guilty of misdemeanour, while Section 36 provides for a two-year imprisonment, fine, or both.
National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetangula forwarded the petition to the Public Petitions Committee for consideration and report the findings to the House.
“Honourable members, having determined that the matters raised by the petitioner are well within the authority of this House and further that the matters raised in this Petition are not pending before any court of law, constitutional or legal body, I hereby commit the petition to the Public Petitions Committee for consideration pursuant to Standing Order 208A.” Wetangula guided.
Data from the World Health Organisation (WHO) indicates that Kenya’s suicidal rate is estimated at 6.1 per 100,000 populations, translating to four suicide deaths daily.
The data also indicates that 42 per cent of those in hospitals have symptoms of severe depression.
To address the menace of suicide, the government developed a five-year plan in 2021 that outlines the suicide prevention strategy by 2026.
Te strategies include collaborating with the public and private sectors, providing universal health coverage, using data to come up with solutions, creating awareness, and empowering the vulnerable population among others.
