Dr. Juliet Nakku, the Executive Director of Butabika National Referral Mental Hospital, told the Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee that mental health cases are on the rise, particularly among children and youths.
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Police in Wakiso are investigating a case of suspected suicide by hanging that occurred on 14th March 2026 at an unknown time in Kavumba Village, Wakiso District.
Preliminary information received by the Officer-in-Charge Operations Wakiso indicates that Mutyaba Genevieve Juliana, a 20-year-old Senior Six vacist and resident of Kavumba Village, allegedly took her own life after reportedly becoming distressed upon receiving her examination results.
Mutyaba was a student of Mengo Senior School in Kampala.
Luke Owoyesigyire, the Kampala Metropolitan deputy Police Spokesperson said that according to family members, the deceased isolated herself in her room for several hours.
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“Their concern prompted them to forcefully open the door, where they found her hanging from the door frame using a scarf. She was rushed to St. Joseph’s Hospital Wakiso, where she was pronounced dead on arrival,” he said.
Owoyesigyire said that police officers visited and documented the scene. The body was later conveyed to Mulago City Mortuary for a post-mortem examination to establish the exact cause of death.
“Preliminary observations revealed ligature marks around the neck and no visible signs of physical assault. A case of suspected suicide has since been registered at Wakiso Police Station, and inquiries are ongoing to ascertain the full circumstances surrounding the incident,” he said.
Police also urge members of the public, especially parents and guardians, to provide emotional support and guidance to students during the examination result period and to seek professional help where signs of distress are noticed.
Other sources indicated that Juliana, who had expected to score 20 points in the recently released Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education (UACE), was left deeply disappointed after receiving 19 points.
Others alleged that her fellow learners mocked her for failing to achieve her long-held goal of scoring 20 points, which may have contributed to her distress.
Dr. Juliet Nakku, the Executive Director of Butabika National Referral Mental Hospital, told the Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee that mental health cases are on the rise, particularly among children and youths.
Dr. Nakku attributed the trend to increasing pressure from parents and guardians on children to achieve high academic grades.
“Many children have little time to rest, as they start school very early and leave late, spending most of their time focused on books. As we speak, a significant number of children are admitted at Butabika,” she said.