Luuka, Uganda | By Michael Wandati | Police in Bukova town council, Luuka district, are probing the situation surrounding the suicide of 11-year-old Gerald Babalanda.
The Nabyoto Primary School fourth-grade student reportedly took his own life after disagreements with friends over a football match in Nabyoto village on Sunday evening. The disputes arose from disagreements on how his team was conceding goals.
Babalanda reportedly returned home, and informed his parents about what had transpired, before locking himself inside the house where he reportedly killed himself by hanging. His parents saw his lifeless body on Monday morning when they forcefully opened the door after noticing his unusual silence since Sunday evening.
Babalanda’s paternal uncle, Nicholas Musonge says that his nephew returned home angry after engaging in the usual children’s fights with his peers, which had turned out to be a norm after their daily evening football games.
Musonge says that Babalanda declined to eat any food and instead told them how he was angry and decided to sleep early, which they agreed to.
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He, however, says that they were concerned after noticing that Babalanda had not woken up by 6:00 am, prompting them to forcefully open the door, only to see his lifeless body hanging.
Solome Waiswa, Bukova LC III chairperson says that most children have resorted to drugs due to lack of parental guidance, causing them to exhibit severe forms of anger and depression.
Busoga North police spokesperson, Michael Kasadha has challenged parents to take full charge of their children’s wellbeing in a bid to deter them from depression, which might result in death.
