By Hanning Mbabazi
Seguku: The Uganda Police are still puzzled by what could have forced city businessman Arthur Kizito, 44, who is tycoon Gaster Lule Ntakke’s son-in-law, into committing suicide.
Kizito’s body was found hanging in his bathroom in Lubowa, a Kampala suburb on Thursday evening. However, the police detectives who investigating his suicide are baffled with several unanswered questions like; what drove Kizito into becoming suicidal; where were other members of the family, especially his wife, not to know that her husband had committed suicide? At what time did Kizito’s family members realise that he had committed suicide and by that time where was his wife, because she is/was expected to be with him in his bedroom. Where were his children or maid? The detectives are also asking themselves if Kizito had any domestic problems with his wife or financial constraints like debts? Those and so many unanswered questions are what is baffling detectives in Kizito’s sudden and shocking demise. It is said that Kizito’s body was found hanging his children in his bedroom at their marital home, although who exactly saw it remains a mystery.
His wife was not home at the time of the incident and it remains unclear why Kizito decided to end his life or where his wife was at the time. The L.C Chairman of Seguku Zone 5 told police that Kizito’s family members had reported to him about the death, although he did not reveal who reported exactly.Police quickly rushed to the scene of crime where they broke the bedroom door to gain access to the bathroom, before taking the corpse to Mulago KCCA city mortuary for postmortem. While commenting about the matter, Kampala Metropolitan Police deputy Spokesperson Luke Owoyesigire said that “Kizito was sighted through the bedroom glass ventilator hanging dead in the bathroom. “It’s a case of suicide.” He added that “The body, dressed in brown khaki shorts, a white vest and black socks was hanging on a cargo brown belt fixed through the ceiling hole.” The police are now investigating the matter as the wait for the postmortem report to establish the actual cause of his death.
Suicide On the Rise
However, research shows that even after decades of research, effective suicide prevention strategies are lacking. According to World Health Organization rankings data in 2014, 18.67 per 100,000 deaths are due to suicide in Uganda. The rise in suicide rates has coincided over the past two decades with a vast increase in the number of Ugandans given a diagnosis of depression or anxiety. The suicide rate calls for more action from authorities to address the mental health challenges faced by urban dwellers. Most people who kill themselves have identifiable psychiatric symptoms, even if they never get an official diagnosis. Benjamin Lutimba, a monitoring and evaluation specialist, advises that “early identification and treatment of depression and alcohol use disorders are key for the prevention of suicide…as well as follow-up contact with those who have attempted suicide, and psychosocial support in communities.”
