A teacher in Naivasha died by suicide after reportedly losing Sh40,000 that was meant for an end-of-term trip for students through betting.

The 26-year-old teacher from a public school took his life by hanging, forcing the management of Unity High School to cancel the long-awaited trip.

In recent weeks, the lakeside town has recorded an increase in suicide cases, mainly involving students and young people.

The teacher had been appointed by the school administration to organise transport for students and was entrusted with the money.

According to Naivasha GBV Cluster Chairperson John Kinuthia, the deceased had managed to secure buses to ferry the students to Nairobi.

He said the situation changed when the teacher failed to report on duty for the trip, prompting the school management to intervene and search for him.

“Teachers went to his house in Mountain View where his lifeless body was found. Investigations established that he had died by suicide after losing the money through betting,” Kinuthia said.

Kinuthia expressed concern over the rising cases of suicide among young people in Naivasha, noting that more than 50 people had died by suicide in the lakeside town since the beginning of the year. “We are deeply concerned about the rising cases of suicide among school-going children, and most of these cases are linked to family conflicts and substance abuse,” he said.

He noted that, unlike previous incidents that mainly involved adults, an increasing number of minors were now being affected, raising concern among parents and the wider community. “We have seen a spike in the number of incidents where both primary and secondary school students are taking their lives and this trend is worrying,” he said.

Naivasha DCIO Isaac Kiama confirmed the incident, adding that the teacher first tried taking his life using a rope, which failed before turning to a wire.

He said that initial investigations pointed to suicide as the teacher did not have the courage to face his employer, parents and students after losing the transport cash.

“The school had given him money to organise transport for the students, but he allegedly lost it through betting, leading to the tragic incident,” Kiama said.

He added that the body had been taken to Naivasha Sub-County Hospital mortuary and that an inquest file had been opened.