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Apr 13, 2008
HIS hopes of becoming a soldier came to a halt when he decided to try out what he had seen in a Nigerian movie. Last week, Jacob Mutebi, 9, put a rope around his neck after tying it on a tree and waited for an angel he had seen in the movie to come and rescue him.
By Gladys Kalibbala
HIS hopes of becoming a soldier came to a halt when he decided to try out what he had seen in a Nigerian movie. Last week, Jacob Mutebi, 9, put a rope around his neck after tying it on a tree and waited for an angel he had seen in the movie to come and rescue him.
Unfortunately, the angel took him straight to heaven. Mutebi’s classmates at St Charles Lwanga Primary School in Matugga Wakiso district, say Mutebi would narrate to them all the actions in the films he watched.
The friends said Mutebi told them he used to watch the movies at the neighbour’s since they did not have electricity and a television set at home. Mutebi’s Primary Three classmates also produced his drawings depicting what he had seen in the movies. He would also imitate the film translators/interpreters.
All the drawings were of violent films, with people fighting with swords and guns. He even showed blood (with red ink) wherever a person was shot or wounded.
Martin Kamoga, his classmate, said a week earlier, Mutebi had narrated to them the movie he had watched. In the movie, a man had left a note authorising his wife to take over his property, before ending his life. “The man tied a rope on the tree and tightened the noose around his neck.
However, as he jumped from the tree, the rope broke and the man survived,†Kamoga quoted Mutebi as saying. In the same movie, Mutebi saw a young boy who also wanted to hang himself.
However, as he jumped off the tree, an angel appeared from heaven and cut the rope, saving the boy.
“As we listened attentively, he told us that he would try it out one day so that an angel could rescue him,†Kamoga said.
He, however, added that the group did not take Mutebi seriously because that was what he always told them about the numerous movies he watched.
The children said none of them had watched any film and always envied Mutebi for his narrations.
The classmates, who described Mutebi as a naughty boy, also narrated how he would sneak to the back of the class to work on his drawings while the teacher was teaching.
Mutebi’s grandmother, Nalongo Namutebi, in her 70s, cannot believe what happened to her grandson as she still refers to him as a humble boy.
“I am still traumatised and hope to wake up one morning and find it as a joke! My son Bunjo gave Mutebi to me at the age of three. He had grown up and would help me with the chores at home,†said the grandmother.
Namutebi says Mutebi always talked of joining the army after school. He had vowed never to return to his father’s home in Singo because it was far from Bombo Army Barracks where he hoped to go for training.
The teachers said this could be one of the reasons why his performance was always poor.
Mutebi’s sister, Esther Nabadda, says on the fateful day, at around 4:00pm, she called him to go and fetch water with her, but he declined, saying he would take his turn later.
While she was away, Mutebi sneaked behind the house, threw two ropes on a guava tree and hanged himself. A two-year-old girl, who had followed him, tipped the neighbours by pointing at him up the tree.
The deputy headteacher, Mary Dhikusooka, decried lack of responsibility by the parents towards their children. “It is common for parents to ask teachers to help them discipline their children, saying they have failed. Who should be more responsible in the upbringing of a child?†she asked.
Dhikusooka advised parents to work together with the teachers to enforce discipline among the children.
“Sometimes we call them up to discuss their children’s behaviour, but very few turn up as they always claim to be busy,†she said.
As a school located in a trading centre, she said, they face problems of bad people interacting with the children. Matugga is a trading centre on Bombo Road.
Patrick Mwase, of the Department of Psychology, Makerere University, attributed the incident to observation and imitation in young children.
He said children between six to 10 years, pick up what they see people do in the society and this has a serious impact on them. Mwase described Mutebi’s drawings as violent and associated them with the films he watched.
“Parents should take trouble to know the type of films their children watch to avoid such incidents. Mutebi believed in what he saw on the screen. Nobody told him it was fiction,†he said.
According to Mwase, Mutebi could have lived a life where the parents or guardians had no limitations to his freedom, which made him adopt a false perceptive of being courageous.
“He felt brave since he could always interpret films to his peers as they looked at him in awe. He thought he could manage all situations,†Mwase said.
Mwase urges parents to provide educative films to their children.
He urged the parents to watch the films with their children and explain to them the necessary details.
“The children should be warned that what they watch is fiction and should not try it out,†he said.
Shocked by the death of their classmate, some of the pupils had this to say:
Shaffiq Nsamba: I have come to note that we should not believe whatever we see in films.
Kamoga: It is very dangerous to play with ropes, especially around the neck.
Jonathan Lugolobi: It is not good to watch violent films.
John Zabamwita: Children should always remember that killing and fighting is bad and should avoid it.
HIS hopes of becoming a soldier came to a halt when he decided to try out what he had seen in a Nigerian movie. Last week, Jacob Mutebi, 9, put a rope around his neck after tying it on a tree and waited for an angel he had seen in the movie to come and rescue him.
Unfortunately, the angel took him straight to heaven. Mutebi’s classmates at St Charles Lwanga Primary School in Matugga Wakiso district, say Mutebi would narrate to them all the actions in the films he watched.
The friends said Mutebi told them he used to watch the movies at the neighbour’s since they did not have electricity and a television set at home. Mutebi’s Primary Three classmates also produced his drawings depicting what he had seen in the movies. He would also imitate the film translators/interpreters.
All the drawings were of violent films, with people fighting with swords and guns. He even showed blood (with red ink) wherever a person was shot or wounded.
Martin Kamoga, his classmate, said a week earlier, Mutebi had narrated to them the movie he had watched. In the movie, a man had left a note authorising his wife to take over his property, before ending his life. “The man tied a rope on the tree and tightened the noose around his neck.
However, as he jumped from the tree, the rope broke and the man survived,†Kamoga quoted Mutebi as saying. In the same movie, Mutebi saw a young boy who also wanted to hang himself.
However, as he jumped off the tree, an angel appeared from heaven and cut the rope, saving the boy.
“As we listened attentively, he told us that he would try it out one day so that an angel could rescue him,†Kamoga said.
He, however, added that the group did not take Mutebi seriously because that was what he always told them about the numerous movies he watched.
The children said none of them had watched any film and always envied Mutebi for his narrations.
The classmates, who described Mutebi as a naughty boy, also narrated how he would sneak to the back of the class to work on his drawings while the teacher was teaching.
Mutebi’s grandmother, Nalongo Namutebi, in her 70s, cannot believe what happened to her grandson as she still refers to him as a humble boy.
“I am still traumatised and hope to wake up one morning and find it as a joke! My son Bunjo gave Mutebi to me at the age of three. He had grown up and would help me with the chores at home,†said the grandmother.
Namutebi says Mutebi always talked of joining the army after school. He had vowed never to return to his father’s home in Singo because it was far from Bombo Army Barracks where he hoped to go for training.
The teachers said this could be one of the reasons why his performance was always poor.
Mutebi’s sister, Esther Nabadda, says on the fateful day, at around 4:00pm, she called him to go and fetch water with her, but he declined, saying he would take his turn later.
While she was away, Mutebi sneaked behind the house, threw two ropes on a guava tree and hanged himself. A two-year-old girl, who had followed him, tipped the neighbours by pointing at him up the tree.
The deputy headteacher, Mary Dhikusooka, decried lack of responsibility by the parents towards their children. “It is common for parents to ask teachers to help them discipline their children, saying they have failed. Who should be more responsible in the upbringing of a child?†she asked.
Dhikusooka advised parents to work together with the teachers to enforce discipline among the children.
“Sometimes we call them up to discuss their children’s behaviour, but very few turn up as they always claim to be busy,†she said.
As a school located in a trading centre, she said, they face problems of bad people interacting with the children. Matugga is a trading centre on Bombo Road.
Patrick Mwase, of the Department of Psychology, Makerere University, attributed the incident to observation and imitation in young children.
He said children between six to 10 years, pick up what they see people do in the society and this has a serious impact on them. Mwase described Mutebi’s drawings as violent and associated them with the films he watched.
“Parents should take trouble to know the type of films their children watch to avoid such incidents. Mutebi believed in what he saw on the screen. Nobody told him it was fiction,†he said.
According to Mwase, Mutebi could have lived a life where the parents or guardians had no limitations to his freedom, which made him adopt a false perceptive of being courageous.
“He felt brave since he could always interpret films to his peers as they looked at him in awe. He thought he could manage all situations,†Mwase said.
Mwase urges parents to provide educative films to their children.
He urged the parents to watch the films with their children and explain to them the necessary details.
“The children should be warned that what they watch is fiction and should not try it out,†he said.
Shocked by the death of their classmate, some of the pupils had this to say:
Shaffiq Nsamba: I have come to note that we should not believe whatever we see in films.
Kamoga: It is very dangerous to play with ropes, especially around the neck.
Jonathan Lugolobi: It is not good to watch violent films.
John Zabamwita: Children should always remember that killing and fighting is bad and should avoid it.