PHOTO:

The late Stephen Githehu 928) and his sister, Jane Mukami of Kenessaw near Atlanta Georgia. Githehu committed suicide yesterday.PHOTO BY COURTESY/JANE MUKAMI FACEBOOK

By:

HARRISON MAINA

Posted:

Jul,12-2017 13:28:13

ATLANTA, GA__Stephen Githehu, a 28 year old Ex-US military Kenyan man based in Kennesaw near Atlanta, Georgia committed suicide yesterday, leaving family and friends stunned with shock.

The late Githehu was the elder brother to Jane Mukami, a Kenyan fitness trainer also of Atlanta and popularly known as FitKenyangirl on social media.

According to Mukami via a facebook post, the family had been worried about their brother for a while as he had been exhibiting signs of psychological issues or possible Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) that led him to cut off any communication with them for over a year.

She added that once they figured that their brother was struggling, she did everything she could get help for her brother but her efforts were thwarted by rigid laws and bureaucracy, from the Veteran affairs department to the Cobb County Police department and even the Kenyan embassy in DC.

"We needed their help because Stephen cut the family off the last 12 months and refused to communicate with us...he lived in total isolation. He constantly texted about killing himself, I showed these texts to the police as i begged them to check him into rehab or do anything that would help get him back on track," said Mukami in the shocking post to friends and fans.

"All I got back was..."Sorry ma'am unless he does something drastic, there is nothing we can do", "He is an adult we cannot force him", "Unless he takes himself to get help we cannot be of help"', she added while expressing a great degree of frustration and anger with existing laws in USA related to mental health treatment.

Mukami said that efforts to have her brother relocate back to Kenya where he could have gotten some rest and hopefully probably heal were unsuccessful for reasons not yet clear.

Thousands of shocked friends sent their condolences to Mukami and her family on facebook as the news spread through hundreds of shares.

"This just breaks my heart...how many more amazing souls are we going to lose as we wait for them to take drastic measures.... My Condolences to you and your family...may God be your source of comfort...May he R.I.P," wrote Wanjku James.

"Ooo my God..Sincere condolences..mental issue in this country is not taken seriously considering that one has seek help by himself...how can a sick person do that..so sad..rest in peace young man," wrote Anne Ochienlee.

Many concerned Kenyans indicated that mental health problems have exploded among Kenyans in the Diaspora that have many more Kenyans struggling unnecessarily.

Over the last 15 to 20 years, other than several Kenyans who have been known to have jumped right off the bridge and into their deaths for various reasons, there have also been many cases of other Kenyans who have silently committed suicides in their apartments across the USA---but family and friends have shied away from disclosing to the community the real cause of the deaths---often explaining that "the post mortem report is not out yet".

It was for this reason that many Kenyans congratulated Mukami for her brave forthrightness to tell her friends about her brother's suicide within hours of the sad development, with several calling on Kenyans in the Diaspora to discuss this issue openly so as to find ways to prevent similar tragedies in the future.

"We need to have a forum where this issue can be addressed esp in the diaspora. Sad," wrote Sharon Mwangi

Like his sister, the late Githehu was also a fitness addict who constantly exercised alongside his sister and in the process encouraging thousands of Kenyans that persistent training can lead to better health.

He hailed hails from Nairobi in Kenya. Details of prayer and funeral arrangements will be updated as soon as they become available.

Githehu's tragic death and his sister's willingness to open up about it breaks with tradition and is now raising the awareness of the mental health struggles affecting thousands of Kenyans in USA with more Kenyans willing to engage in a discussion for solutions without fear of getting ostracized in the close knit community--especially at a time when fear and uncertainty is gripping many immigrants as a result of President Donald Trump's new hard-line immigration stance that threatens to deport millions of undocumented immigrants in the USA.

Read Jane Mukami's full post below.

Jane Mukami

feeling upset.21 hrs

My heart bleeds with sadness, but I'm more angry than sad. My brother committed suicide a few hours ago...he was 28 years old Ex-US military. I'm angry because ever since we discovered he had possible ptsd/psychological issues we reached out on numerous occasions to the VA, Cobb County police, Cobb County Court system, The Kenyan Embassy in DC, The US Embassy in Nairobi...everyone we possibly could asking for help. We needed their help because Stephen cut the family off the last12 months and refused to communicate with us...he lived in total isolation. He constantly texted about killing himself, I showed these texts to the police as i begged them to check him into rehab or do anything that would help get him back on track...all I got back was
"Sorry ma'am unless he does something drastic, there is nothing we can do"
"He is an adult we cannot force him"
"Unless he takes himself to get help we cannot be of help"
1 thing i know for sure is that had we found a way of getting my brother back to Kenya, he would still be alive. So now I ask America, Was him committing suicide drastic enough for you? I no longer have a brother, momMary Kingatuaand Eddy no longer have a son, and all because laws + the system didn't 'allow' us to step in and help. Rest In Peace Mitu...I'm sorry we failed you.

Source:

AJABU AFRICAN NEWS