A sombre mood engulfed Rwatama village in Teso North Sub-county on Sunday morning after a teacher committed suicide.
The body of Michael Etyang, a Junior Secondary School (JSS) teacher at Kaejo, was found dangling from a tree. This was after the teacher disappeared on Saturday night from his home.
Michael was described as a polite teacher who worked hard in high school, a virtue that saw him join Nabongo Teachers’ College for a diploma in Education.
After teaching on BOM terms for a number of years, he was employed as an intern in 2023 and posted to Kaejo Junior School, where he was confirmed in permanent terms in January 2024.
All is said to have been well with Michael until recently, when he started posting on his online platform of what colleagues described as life struggles, which, according to most of them, were not clear.
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“He was always jovial and hardworking. I was surprised to receive news of his suicide as he had not shown any serious signs of mental health,” said one of his colleagues who had known him for a long time.
Cases of teachers committing suicide across the country are reported to be on the rise. A critical look points to mental health, which is largely attributed to economic crisis and family tussles.
Recently, a junior school teacher in Elgeiyo Marakwet County committed suicide over what was linked to botched gambling.
Stakeholders in the Education sector have urged the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) to strengthen counselling services for its teachers. There is great concern over the rate at which young teachers lose their lives immediately after they secure employment.
By Naboth Murunga.
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