Several other cases of teen and pre-teen suicides have lately been reported and although the police do not have exhaustive data on the number of child and teen suicides.
A 13-year old girl committed suicide in Elementaita,Nakuru County on Monday after a disagreement over a TV remote control.
She got into a fight with her cousin as they watched TV in the living room.
The deceased got angry after the channel was changed and was later found dead.
Her body was taken to the Nakuru Municipal Mortuary.
Gilgil OCPD Emmanuel Opur confirmed the incidence stating that the suicide took place on Monday night.
The girl was living with her aunt in the Jogoo area of Elementaita
It is the second report of suicide following fights over the remote control in recent months.
In July, a Standard Six pupil in Kigumo, Murang’a County killed himself after a living room fight over the remote control.
They boy had also engaged in an argument with his cousin over what channel to watch.
He stormed out of the room after the channel was changed to a vernacular station.
His lifeless body was found hanging from the roof of his room by his mother later on that evening.
Experts and researchers have called for enhanced awareness campaigns on mental health in Kenya and for more resources to be deployed towards mental health.
Early this year another teenage committed suicide after differing with his cousin on what programme to watch on TV. The pupil is said to have hung himself on Sunday evening after his cousin switched the TV to a vernacular station.
The incident happened in Irigu-ini village in Kigumo sub-county after the two were left behind by their parents, who were attending an evening meeting in the neighbourhood.
The two are said to have quarreled before the boy stormed out of the family living room at around 3pm. Shortly after 7pm, the boy’s mother found his body hanging from the roof of his bedroom.
According to the family’s neighbour, the boy was heard warning the cousin that it would be the last time he would be forced by others to watch TV stations of their choice in his home.
The boy’s family and the cousins shared a compound and the two were said to be close friends. Calling for more counselling, Irigu-ini assistant chief Mburu Gitau urged parents to establish strong bonds with their children to teach them how to settle arguments.
A Pew Research Centre report indicates that smartphone ownership accounted for more than 50 per cent of teenage depression in 2012, when this phenomenon began to increase.
Apart from frustrations resulting from great expectations, Dr Khasakhala said some children are exposed to events that traumatise them, like sexual, emotional and physical violence which trouble their minds.
“Parents need to pay attention to their children’s feelings and behaviour at all times,” he said.
To solve the problem, Dr Khasakhala said parents, teachers and siblings have to offer support to children who look or sound troubled by seeking psychiatric help for them and keeping them from events that may frustrate them further like bullying.