Martin Juma, 46, from Namakhele village, Kabuchai constituency, Bungoma County left villagers in shock after digging his own grave in readiness to commit suicide over Ksh 15,000 debt.
Martin Juma admitted that he wanted to commit suicide because he owes numerous people in the area money and they were annoying him to pay up the debts of which he was unable.
Juma, who is jobless, said he had no option but opted to dig his own grave and take his life.
” I did that because I’m was broke and couldn’t pay the debt,” he said.
The incident drew a mob just after few days after a middle-aged man in the same location slaughtered a cow and drank its blood then disappeared.
Area Chief Bonface Ndiera, who hurried to the scene after being notified, said that such cases have been on the rise in the area and asked pastors to intercede and pray for the area residents’ redemption.
Kizito Lukorito, an elder, said that according to the Luhya customs when a person is found excavating his own grave he should be harshly whipped and a black sheep butchered to purify bad spirits before a banana trunk is buried in the grave.
“If the above custom is not performed, then the family risks losing a close family member,” he said.