Police in Namyingo is investigating circumstances under which a 12 -year -old child committed suicide under unclear circumstances.

The deceased, Egesa Patrick aka Ege, a pupil at Goodwill Nursery and Primary School, was found hanging on a wire by locals, hours after he prophesied it.

Egesa reportedly jokingly told his friends while playing outside that he would call time on his life because he was tired of living in stress. His cousin Akubwa Aksha, says Egesa threatened to commit suicide, on Friday at around 4:30pm, but no one took his word seriously.

Egesa’s lifeless body was found by his relatives on Saturday morning,at his residence in Namayingo South Cell, Namayingo Town Council in Namayingo District. It was found hanging on a wire in his grandmother’s bedroom where he lived.

Fred Enanga, the Police Spokesperson, told our reporter Minah Nalule that the deceased used gauze wire he picked from outside to hang himself in the bedroom while others were away.

Enanga attributes suicide among children and teenagers to depression and impulsive acts in the youth. He says suicide attempts are associated with feelings of stress, self-doubt, pressure to succeed, financial uncertainty, disappointment and loss.

“For some teen, suicide may seem to be a solution to their problems. Often it’s impulsive and associated with feelings of sadness, confusion, anger or problems with attention and hyperactivity. Other factors include; family history of suicide attempts, exposure to violence, impulsivity, aggressive or disruptive behavior, bullying, total rejection etc.” he says

Enanga has asked parents to be on the lookout for children making suicidal statements like ‘I wish I was dead’, ‘I won’t be a problem for you much longer’, ‘what does it mean to die or what happens when you die’.  He says other worrying signs include changes in eating or sleeping habits, pervasive sadness, withdrawal from friends, decline in quality of school work, preoccupied with death etc.

 Uganda National Institute of Public Health (UNIPH) Quarterly Epidemiological Bulletin, code puts suicide rates at 18 percent, with men standing at a higher risk than their females.