KRA man kills self, leaves note saying betting to blame for his death

By Carolyn Necheza

Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of a 27-year-old man from Shikhambi Village in Kakamega County, whose body was found in his house on the morning of December 29, 2019.

Meshack Keith Bwisa, an employee of the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) -- registry department -- in Kakamega, had gone missing since December 25, 2019.

Bwisa’s relatives said they went over to his house to look for him as they prepared to celebrate the New Year festivity as a family.

The deceased’s relatives said when they knocked on the door of Bwisa’s rented house in Shikhambi, they did not get any response. Upon trying to gain access to the house, they realised that he had locked the door from the inside, prompting them to seek police officers’ intervention.

The law enforcement agents from Kakamega Town arrived at the scene, broke down the door and found Bwisa’s body lying on a bed.

On the floor, there was a jiko that had charcoal ashes, suggesting that Bwisa could have succumbed to carbon monoxide poisoning.

“The body had swollen and decomposed. It is likely Bwisa died on the night of December 25, 2019,” said Kakamega Central OCPD David Kabena.

“There was a suicide note placed next to his body. In the letter, Bwisa blamed frustrations arising from unsuccessful bets as the reason for his suicidal ideation. In the note, he also advised the youth and his family members to refrain from betting, saying it ends up impoverishing people,” added Kabena.

Bwisa’s body was taken to Kakamega County Referral Hospital morgue, where a postmortem examination was scheduled for early January.

Reached for comment on Tuesday, January 7, on whether Bwisa’s autopsy had been conducted, Kabena said: “I am on leave now, but I will confirm and get back to you.”