So sad! How mom of man who set himself on fire in Mombasa found out

The mother of Robert Gituhu, a 28-year-old man who set himself on fire in the center of Mombasa last week has spoken.

The overwhelmed mother told online journalists who visited her home that her son was dealing with bipolar disorder.

The man's mother said that Robert was under medical care and the whole time they had a conversation with his mother before he suddenly left his house leaving the phone behind.

The mother said that later they reported to the police and started a search for him until she came to find out that her son had set himself on fire and was in the hospital.

"I was told that he had gone out and was seen carrying a bag, I knew that he had left his phone at home and I called the police, I knew his state of mind was not right. It was Sunday. We continued to look for him on Monday, on Tuesday we did not find him..." she said.

"On Thursday I couldn't get up early because I was tired after looking for him, but I was able to go out and on the way by car, I received a video on WhatsApp.

When I opened it, I saw something very bad, the first thing I saw was my child's face in pain, so I couldn't turn on the sound, I yelled and the car stopped. It hurt me a lot when I saw someone who gave my son a match to light himself without knowing what problem he had," she added.

The mother said that it was very wrong for people to cheer him on when he set himself on fire knowing his mental problem but said that she has forgiven the person who gave him the match.

"I have forgiven the person who took the match and gave it to him, and I will work hard so that I can inform people about this disease. He would have turned 28 next month," she said.

The mother said that her son had graduated from college in Eldoret and was enrolled in a master's program but after suffering from bipolar, the plans had to be put on hold.

Counselors, medics, and psychologists advise that you can always reach out for help when experiencing any mental health issues. Call Kenya Red Cross toll-free hotline, 1199 for support.