Mother of nine commits suicide in Kasese

Nine children were on Tuesday orphaned in Kasese district after their mother allegedly committed suicide ahead of Christmas after failing to repay loans from several money-lending organisations.

Confirming the incident, the LC3 chairperson of neighbouring Kyondo sub-county, Juvenali Muke, said he had received the information from his Kyalumba counterpart, Ivan Kabuthirwa.

Muke identified the deceased as Yowanina Masika, 35, of Kasanga village, Kaghema parish, Kyalumba sub-county, saying she had died on arrival at Kagando Hospital after reportedly taking soda mixed with rat poison.

The incident happened after the lending organisations demanded a sh1.5m loan which she had borrowed from them, but had failed to pay back.

Sources close to the officer in charge Kyalumba Police Post, Peter Nguma, quoted him as saying he was still investigating the matter.

The incident comes as authorities in Kasese district grapple with money lenders to reduce the loan interest rates to enable the people to manage servicing them.

The district secretary social services, Ruth Kabugho, said her office was in the process of convening sensitisation meetings loan management and to lobby money lenders to reduce their lending rates, which are currently between 10% and 20%.

"I appeal to the money lenders to reduce the rates to at least 3%,"Ruth Kabugho told the media in Kasese town.

Kabugho also said she was de-campaigning the habit of multi-borrowing, explaining that it was hard to service too many loans at ago.

She further advised couples to learn disclose loan amounts, types and sources of loans they have to each other avoid domestic violence to safe-guard their property from being grabbed by money lenders to recover the loans.

 

"I am informed that after borrowing money, some women also lend it out to other people get profits but in the process find it hard to recover the money and consequently default with the lending institutions," she said.