Makerere student commits suicide after losing millions in Ponzi Scheme

The Uganda Police Force is investigating circumstances under which a fourth year student of Medicine at Makerere University committed suicide inside his room at Nsibirwa Hall.

The student, now deceased has been identified by Police as Ashraf Nsubuga, a fourth year government sponsored student of Bachelor of Sciences in Medical Radiology at the Makerere University College of Health Sciences.

While addressing the press about the the incident, Luke Owoyesigyire the Kampala Metropolitan police spokesperson said that they got information about 12:15pm on Sunday and responded fast only to find the deceased hanging on a rope that was tied on the door to his room.

He added that police is now investigating the motive behind the suicide in order to have a complete report.

"Our teams from Wandegeya and Makerere Police Stations visited the scene and conveyed the body for post mortem," Owoyesigyire said in part.

Sources informed this reporter that the deceased allegedly lost money worth millions of shillings in a ponzi scheme and has been grappling with debts.

Suicide cases continue to take a toll on Makerere University as this is just one of the many cases that are reported at Makerere every year.

Last year, Joshua Ajuna a resident of Nsibirwa Hall was found dead in his room with a bottle of suspected poison and two suicide notes saying that personal reasons drove him to that decision.

According to Dr Caroline Birungi a lecturer at Makerere University's department of psychology, there are a number of factors that lead students to commit suicide with depression, drugs, getting infections, poverty, stress and poor guidance ranking highest.