Community in mourning
HABARI DAILY I Kampala, Uganda I A Primary Six pupil at Greenhill Academy, Buwate campus, has died, three weeks after sustaining severe injuries in a suspected suicide incident that shocked the school community.
The 12-year-old boy, whose identity has been withheld because he was a minor, reportedly fell from the second floor of a classroom block on October 22, 2025, shortly after leaving his class.
In a statement released after the incident, the school said video footage captured the pupil leaving his seat, picking a piece of toilet tissue, and running out before leaping over a balcony. “We rushed him to hospital where he was joined by family members,” the statement read.
After weeks of intensive medical care, the boy succumbed to complications from his injuries on November 12, 2025.
Greenhill officials said police, the Ministry of Education, and child-welfare agencies were immediately informed and are still investigating the circumstances surrounding the tragedy. “This is a devastating loss for our school community. We extend our deepest sympathies to the family,” a school official said. Counsellors have since been deployed to support affected learners and teachers.
The incident has reignited concern over the rising number of child suicides and mental distress cases in Uganda. According to data from the Uganda Police Annual Crime Report 2024, at least 135 children under 18 died by suicide, while hundreds more were treated for self-harm or emotional breakdowns. Experts have called for urgent mental health interventions and counselling services in schools to help learners cope with stress, bullying, and academic pressure.
The family of the deceased has requested privacy as they grieve their son. Authorities have pledged to continue investigations and strengthen child protection and mental health programs nationwide.
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