A somber mood engulfed Kabiru-ini village in Gichugu, Kirinyaga County, as family and friends gathered to bid farewell to 29-year-old Maurine Wangui and her five-year-old daughter who died last week after jumping into River Nyamindi.

Family and friends eulogised the nutritionist as a jovial and hard working woman who was battling mental health issues that led to depression and later suicide.

The family said that the Wangui had been battling depression due to unemployment and the ailing daughter and was in and out of hospital being treated for depression.

The family said that the diseased had moved to her grandmother’s home away from her parents who live in Embu and had already made plans to enrol her daughter to school.

Mourners at the burial urged the government to address the issues of unemployment which have been the cause of many youths getting depressed and finally dying by suicide.

Kirinyaga County Assembly Majority Leader Muriithi Kibinga underscored the importance of parents engaging with the children to understand what they are going through and also trying to sort out some of their issues.

The body of the baby was the first to be retrieved from the river, while that of Wangui was pulled out of the river three days later, 10 kilometres from where she drowned.

Preliminary details indicate that wangui got pregnant in 2019 while she was pursuing a diploma in college. At the time, the man responsible for the pregnancy promised to marry her upon completion of the course.

Unfortunately, the baby developed meningitis, leading to her being paralysed. This is why Wangui got depressed, a condition that was worsened after the said man rejected her.