Kenyan Army Major Found Hanged In The Bathroom In UK
Detectives are investigating the death of a British Army major and former United Nations consultant, after he was found hanged in a barracks.
The body of Cyrus Karumba who was originally from Kenya, was found in a bathroom of the house he shared with his wife on the site of an Army Defence Academy.
The respected 36-year-old major, who joined the British Army in 2003 and had served in Afghanistan, Kenya and Germany, and his wife Suchada Karumba, who was also from Kenya, had moved to the site in September.
A coroner has opened an inquest into his death after his wife found his body at their home on the site of the Defence Academy of the United Kingdom in Watchfield, Oxfordshire, on December 7.
Assistant Coroner for Oxfordshire Nicholas Gardiner confirmed the major’s name, age, address and cause of death registered following a post-mortem examination before he adjourned the inquest at Oxford Coroner’s Court.
An Army spokesman said today: ‘We can confirm that a service person died in the Defence Academy in Shrivenham on Tuesday December 6.
‘Thames Valley Police is investigating and an inquest into the death will take place in due course.
Aside from expressing our condolences to his family and friends, it would be inappropriate to comment further at this stage.’
Mr Karumba was leading a professional development course for Army officers at the academy at the time of his death .
He was the Army’s Telecommunications and ICT Director for more than 10,000 of his comrades during a two-year stint in Kenya and was a web consultant for the UN Convention to Combat Desertification before he joined became an Army officer.
He had trained as an officer at the Royal Military Academy in Sandhurst, Berkshire, and had also served in the Falkland Islands.
On the dead soldier’s LinkedIn page a colleague wrote: ‘Officer Cyrus is effortlessly ahead of the pack in physical tests and core military knowledge. A man of integrity who I trust implicitly.’
The rank of Major is the eighth highest in the British Army.
Out of the most senior ranks, the highest occupied by a black serviceman is that of Brigadier – but there is only one.
Brigadier is the fifth most senior rank below Field Marshall, General, Lieutenant General and Major General.
My condolences to the wife & family. Let me say, though, that I’m very surprised–actually shocked–to learn about a Kenyan serving in our former colonialists’ army. It’s just so weird to me.
Waithira, there are many Kenyans serving at the Royal military and many more in the USA military. They have good benefits.