S.5 student ‘commits suicide’ over science subject combinations

A senior five student at Wampewo Ntake SS in Wakiso district has committed suicide, allegedly due to pressure from her mother to pursue science subjects.

Kampala Metropolitan deputy police spokesperson, Luke Owoyesigyire, identified the deceased as 17-year-old Hawa Nantongo, who ended her life over the weekend. It is reported that Nantongo’s mother has been forcing her to take a combination of Biology, Chemistry, and Mathematics (BCM), while Nantongo preferred to study Arts, specifically Divinity, Economics, and Luganda.

A fellow student informed police detectives that Nantongo was frequently in tears and experienced trauma due to this academic pressure, which may have contributed to her suicide. Preliminary police investigations revealed that Nantongo escaped from school before killing herself from outside the school premises.

“Her body was found hanging by people around the school. It has been conveyed to the city mortuary at Mulago for a post-mortem, as investigations continue to establish her actual cause of death,” Owoyesigyire stated.

Police reported that Nantongo had sought help from her teachers to persuade her mother to no avail. Authorities have since advised parents to understand their children’s passions and strengths to prevent such tragedies.

“We urge parents to sit with their children to understand their interests and abilities. Such cases could be avoided,” Owoyesigyire added.

This incident occurs amid a rise in suicide cases in the Kampala Metropolitan Area. Last week, at least four suicides were reported, including that of 40-year-old ICT specialist and digital marketer John Birungi Babirukama, who jumped to his death at Tagore Apartments building in Kamwokya.

Additionally, Kira-Road police recorded another suicide on Sunday at Skyz Hotel-Naguru, where 35-year-old Indian national Shukla Chirangkumar fell from the fourth floor, breaking his arm. Investigations revealed that Chirangkumar had checked into the hotel with an unidentified woman with whom he spent the night. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), close to 800,000 people die by suicide each year.