Police in Homa Bay County have launched an investigation into the sudden death of Dr. Samuel Owino Mwanda, a University of Nairobi lecturer, in a suspected suicide case.

Dr. Mwanda, who was attached to the Department of Educational Communication, Technology, and Pedagogical Studies at the University of Nairobi, was found hanging from a tree behind his house.

A plastic rope around his neck suggested he had committed suicide.

Homa Bay County Police Commander Hassan Barua stated that investigations are ongoing to determine the circumstances leading to Dr. Mwanda’s death.

“We have established that the deceased had an evening meal with his employee before both went to sleep. No one knows what happened thereafter,” she said.

Dr. Mwanda lived with a farmhand and frequently visited his home. During questioning, the employee mentioned that Dr. Mwanda was supposed to travel back to Nairobi on Thursday morning.

“The man said he was instructed to take care of the house as his boss would travel back to Nairobi, leaving him alone,” the police commander added.

Concerns arose when Dr. Mwanda did not wake up early as usual. According to South Kodera Senior Chief Joseph Mboga, Dr. Mwanda had returned home from Nairobi, as he regularly did.

The farmhand discovered the body while preparing to start his daily duties.

Chief Mboga said the worker raised an alarm upon finding his employer’s body.

A neighbor, who was cultivating his farm nearby, heard the cries and decided to investigate. “The neighbor personally went to the home to see what was happening. They then saw the body hanging from the tree,” the chief explained.