Deadly online game from Russia reaches Kenya, kills third victim in a week

Teenagers are asked to engrave a whale on their body as part of the challenge. (Siberian Times)

NAIROBI—A teenager has committed suicide at Kamakunji area in Nairobi after he participated in an online game that challenge the players to perform outrageous actions and ultimately suicide.

Jamie Njenga, 16, was found hanging after he committed suicide at the balcony of his grandfather John Njenga.

The game—Blue Whale Challenge—was first reported in Russia and has now reached Kenya.

According to people privy to the game, the players would be challenged to pass through stages. In every stage, the player will send photo evidence to prove that he/she actually conducted the challenges. It targets teens between 14-17-years.

The challenges comprise of undertaking dare-devil performance, or inflicting harm upon themselves and relaying the photos to an administrator. The administrator manages a Facebook group.

When you signed up for the game, you will be assigned an administrator who then tasks the player over a period of 50 days.  The last task is to commit suicide and meet “their creator.”

The players cannot stop playing once they’ve started; they’re blackmailed and cyber bullied into completing the game.

According to police records, Jamie searched for “how to commit suicide” on Google and texted his friends that they would meet “in heaven.”

Jamie was the only child of a single mother. He was with his grandfather for the April holiday.

“When police were called to the scene, they found the body hanging on a rope on the balcony of the family house,”Nairobi police boss Joseph Koome told the Standard.

“There was no suicide note but were informed that he was influenced by some online game. The body was then taken to the mortuary,” he added.

The police are investigating if the teen committed suicide.

Just last week, Safaricom security manager’s son committed suicide at their home in Lavington, Nairobi.

“This is a new thing that calls for parents to keep abreast with their children’s online activities,” the police boss noted.

So far the game has caused the death of more than 150 people across the world and Jamie was the third known victim in Kenya.