Homicide detectives in Nairobi are investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of 36-year-old Grace Akinyi Mangana, a house help whose body was discovered at a residential apartment complex in Kilimani early Wednesday morning.

The tragedy unfolded around 6:30am when early-rising tenants spotted Mangana hanging from a staircase grill outside her employer’s third-floor unit.

In a desperate attempt to save her life, neighbors rushed to cut her down, though she was already unresponsive by the time they reached her.

The commotion alerted the building’s caretaker, who immediately contacted local police.

According to preliminary reports, authorities believe Mangana slipped out of the third-floor apartment while her employer was still asleep, using a black cloth in an apparent act of self-harm.

While initial evidence suggests suicide, investigators are maintaining a broad scope, interviewing neighbors and her employer to reconstruct her final hours and establish her state of mind.

Her body has since been moved to the City Mortuary, where a post-mortem examination will be conducted to confirm the official cause of death as the investigation continues.