South African woman quarantined in Nakuru commits suicide

A 27-year-old woman from South Africa has committed suicide at the Kenya Industrial Training Institute (KITI) in Nakuru where she had been placed under quarantine undergoing check-up for the coronavirus.

In a statement issued on Friday, Nakuru Health CEC Dr. Kariuki Gichuki, said the woman jetted into the country on March 25, 2020 from a country with confirmed cases of COVID-19.

The Caucasian woman was then taken to the KITI centre following National Government’s directive that all in-bound passenhers to Kenya undergo mandatory 14-day quarantine to avert spread of the coronavirus.

“She was discovered in her room today morning with initial police investigations pointing to suicide,” said Nakuru Health CEC in a statement.

Rift-valley Regional Commissioner George Natembeya said the woman hanged herself, saying further investigations into the incident had been launched.

Reports indicate that the woman had been complaining of the poor conditions at the quarantine facility.

“Yesterday evening she complained that the conditions are deplorable and had requested to be taken to a hotel for quarantine as she could afford but the health officials were hesitant,” said one of the four individuals quarantined at the facility.