𝗪𝗲𝗱𝗻𝗲𝘀𝗱𝗮𝘆, 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝟲, 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰

The National Assembly Departmental Committee on Health led by Chairperson, Hon. (Dr.) Robert Pukose (Endebess) has been asked to change the law to decriminalize attempted suicide.

Top management of Mathari National Teaching and Referral Hospital asked Parliament to repeal Section 226 of Kenya's Penal Code, which currently imposes criminal liability on individuals who attempt suicide.

They argue that individuals engaging in such acts are often grappling with mental illness and thus require medical intervention rather than punitive measures.

The Committee was on a fact-finding mission to understand the challenges, and successes of the facility, as well as to ascertain its current status in admitting and treating patients with mental health issues.

Section 226 of Kenya's penal code stipulates that any person attempting to take their own life is guilty of a misdemeanor and is subject to imprisonment of up to two years, a fine, or both, with the minimum age of prosecution set at eight years old.

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Mathari National Teaching and Referral Hospital said the law as currently constituted can push people with mental illness to the edge.

“Initially, people thought that a person contemplating suicide is abnormal, but that is not true. Just as diabetes results from a lack of insulin in the body, mental illness involves an imbalance of chemical transmitters in the brain. There is a biological basis for such thoughts. When someone exhibits these thoughts, they require empathy and much-needed support to access treatment,” said Dr. Ogato.

Dr. Ogato further said that individuals with suicidal thoughts require rescue, protection, and care, not incarceration.

He proposed that by reclassifying attempted suicide as a mental disease rather than a criminal act, perceptions would shift, and people would understand that those with mental illness require assistance, not punishment.

According to the World Health Organization, approximately 700,000 individuals die by suicide annually, making it the second leading cause of death among individuals aged 15-29 years. It ranks among the top ten leading causes of death across all age groups.

Hon. (Dr.) Pukose said criminalizing suicide adds further suffering to individuals who are already in a vulnerable state.