WAKISO — Police in Wakiso District are investigating the death of an 18-year-old Senior Four student at Naalya Secondary School after he was found hanging inside a toilet block in what authorities are treating as a suspected suicide.
The incident occurred on the evening of July 8 at the school’s Bweyogerere campus in Kira Municipality, according to Kampala Metropolitan Police.
Kampala Metropolitan Police Deputy Public Relations Officer ASP Luke Owoyesigyire said school authorities alerted police after discovering the student’s body hanging inside the boys’ toilet block. Officers from Bweyogerere Police Station, together with Scene of Crime personnel, responded to the scene and launched investigations.
Police recovered a handwritten note believed to have been authored by the deceased. The note has been secured as evidence and is undergoing forensic examination to help investigators establish the circumstances surrounding the student’s death. Authorities have not disclosed its contents.
“Preliminary findings indicate that the deceased was seen entering the toilet block shortly before he was discovered,” Owoyesigyire said.
Detectives documented the scene, recorded statements from witnesses, and conveyed the body to Mulago City Mortuary for a postmortem examination.
Police said there were no immediate signs of foul play, but investigations remain ongoing to establish the exact circumstances that led to the student’s death. The student’s identity has not been released publicly pending notification of next of kin and completion of investigations.
The incident has renewed concern over the mental wellbeing of learners in Uganda following several similar cases reported in schools over the past two years.
In February 2025, a 16-year-old student at Seeta High School was found dead in a suspected suicide, prompting calls for stronger mental health support systems in schools.
Mental health professionals have previously warned that academic pressure, family challenges, bullying, and untreated psychological distress can significantly affect young people’s wellbeing, underscoring the need for accessible counselling services in educational institutions.
Police have extended condolences to the student’s family, friends, and the school community, and urged the public to refrain from speculation while investigations continue. Further updates are expected once the postmortem results and forensic analysis of the recovered note are completed.
