The Blue Whale challenge online demonic game has claimed the life of a Kenyan teenager

Unconfirmed sources claim that the game, which challenges its players to commit suicide, has led to the death of more than 100 people.

By Njeri Kimani, editorial@alleastafrica.com

NAIROBI – Jamie Njenga, popularly known as Jamie Giggz, was hooked to the game which he would play way past midnight. His body was found hanging in their home in Kamkunji area in Embakasi

Unconfirmed sources claim that the game, which challenges its players to commit suicide, has led to the death of more than 100 people.

Players of the game are assigned an administrator who provides them with a daily task for 50 days. They are mandated to send photographic proof that they have completed the task.

The tasks range from watching a horror movie or waking up at odd times. However, in some cases they are told to afflict wounds on themselves. On the last day of the challenge they are ordered to kill themselves.MsWaitheraNjenga, his grandmother, narrated how the boy would play the game late into the night. The form two students at JG Kirieni could not explain where he got the airtime but often would wake up and play until two in the night.

Before he killed himself, Njenga had even searched on how to commit suicide from various websites, before sending texts to his relatives telling them they will meet in heaven. He had taken a detour from his trip to school from Namanga, where his mother hailed from and had passed by his grandparents place.

MsWaithera feels her grandchild was introduced to a cult which ended up claiming his life. In some of the levels, the teenagers are forced to use a knife to make a shape on  their wrist or legs and  different part of the bodies. In some levels they are also forced to slice themselves up, with the ultimate prize being their  death.

Confirming the incident, Nairobi county police commander Japheth Koomesaid investigations had already been launched over the incidence.

The game, which started in February, has claimed 100 lives mainly in Russia, its country of origin. Russian authorities claim the man behind this is 21 year old FilipBudeikin who is facing charges for driving 15 teenagers to commit suicide.

In an earlier interview Budeikin yapped that the real number was 17, claiming that his victims “died happy.”

The deaths range from jumping from on top of a building, hanging themselves, throwing themselves in front of a commuter train.

In the game, the children are told that the best things in life start with the letter S:  semiya (family) Saturday, sex and suicide.

In March, the French authorities had waned parents about the game which hypnotized students into suicide.

Mary Gathoni, a family counselor, points out that the parent absenteeism could contribute towards the adoption of weird online habits by children especially in their teens.

“Many have an identity crisis and the internet provides for them an alternative platform of self-discovery. Parents should be very careful about giving their children easy access, since they can be told anything and be easily convinced to self-harm,” she added.

Julius Koech, a technoprenueradvises parents to utilize filteringsoftware which while installed can help monitor the childs online activities.

“You can be able to filter chats, block dangerous sites and even monitor your child’s phone and computer and hence would be able to raise the flag in case you spot something dangerous,” he added.

Peter Mwangi, a doctor, challenges parentsto  deny their children mobile phone and internet access until they turn 18.

“It is important to deny them such exposure since many are not mature enough to handle the heavy stuff on the net. In fact, many can be swayed into serious life threatening action including games as sick as the Blue Whale. There needs to be more parenting to this current generation where children feel they know more than their elders,” he added.