A family’s frantic search mission for their 24 year old son who had been reported missing since Sunday, May 23, 2021, ended on a sad note today after his decomposed body was discovered in the expansive Kapchemutwa forest in Elgeyo Marakwet County.
The late Simon Kipkorir is alleged to have committed suicide by hanging himself on a tree, just one week after he threatened to end his life in tragic manner after complaining of stress related complications.
The search team which included villagers and officials from Kenya Forestry Service discovered the deceased’s body in the middle of the forest land.
His elder brother Evans Kipkorir recounted the last moments they had with the deceased prior to the discovery of his body five days later in the python infested public forest.
“We had breakfast together on the fateful Sunday morning before he left home saying that he was heading to the forest for an unspecified mission. He had been telling everyone who cares to listen to him that he will one day end his life in a cruel manner,” said Evans.
Evans said that as a family they had been dismissing as a joke his several threats to the effect that he would one day terminate his life but little did they know that he meant business.
He claimed that the deceased was always complaining of stress but did not expound on what he was really meaning, something the family took as normal jokes.
Evans said that it was after the deceased failed to return home on Sunday evening that raised alarm in the family prompting a search mission the following day with the help of villagers.
“We sought the assistance of Kenya Forestry Service officials to trace our brother in the forest and after combing it for five days; we managed to locate the body that had started to decompose,” he said.
Area Chief Fred Lagat who confirmed the incident said the deceased’s father also committed suicide in the same forest last year after he went missing for several days in unclear circumstances.
“I am made to understand that the young man had been threatening that he will end his life by committing suicide claiming that he was tired with life,” said Lagat.
He said the body of the deceased had been transported from the scene of the incident to Iten county referral hospital mortuary.