The body of a woman was found floating in the Kipkaren dam on Sunday in what is believed to be the aftermath of a suicide. The woman was said to have complained of having financial problems according to a friend of hers. “She had asked me to lend her Sh2,000, which I promised to give. I didn’t know that would be the last time I would see her alive,” said a friend who asked not to be named. Discovery of the body made residents of Eldoret’s Kamukunji estate renew their appeals to the Uasin Gishu County government to fence the dam.
Area assistant chief David Rotich said the dam had become a place for people to end their lives when they feel challenged by life. “This dam has become a major challenge to us as very many people have lost their lives here. Whenever people have problems, this is where they come to end their lives,” Rotich said. “What I would like to request the county government is to help us fence the dam because the rate at which people are ending their lives here is worrying.” Judy Korir, a resident, said that something should be done about the dam because this year alone, three people have died there.