The Uganda Police Force has expressed concern over the increasing cases of suicide across the country,the deputy police spokesperson, Polly Namaye said on Wednesday.
Speaking to the media in Kampala, Namaye said the country has registered 275 suicide cases from January to June compared to last year’s 224 cases reported in the same period.
Some of the districts that reported more cases of suicide include: Lwengo with 16, Rukungiri 12, Tororo 12 and Nakaseke 11 among others.
"Last year we had 224 cases of suicide. So far we have an increase of 22.7% and that is worrying and we suspect and believe that this increase in the cases of suicide could be related to a number of issues,"Namaye said.
Namaye attributed the increase in suicide cases to a number of things including the poor living conditions caused by the Covid-19 lockdown.
"Most people have not been working. Some of them, their businesses have slowed down so poverty is on the increase. We think that this could be one of the reasons that has led to the increase in suicide cases in the country,"she said.
Namaye also attributed the surge in suicide cases to frustration, stress and rejection by family members among others.
" For some people they feel that they have been denied justice to them so suicide becomes the last option like the case of the bodaboda rider in Masaka,"she said.