Suicide in Jinja after girlfriend allegedly dumps man

Residents of Lwanyama village in Buyengo sub-county, Jinja district are in shock after one of their neighbours reportedly took his own life after suspecting his girlfriend of ending their relationship. The deceased, identified as 48-year-old Jafari Kuneena, allegedly committed suicide by poisoning.

The deceased ended his life after he discovered voice notes on his girlfriend’s WhatsApp, expressing admiration for another man. This discovery led to a heated argument between the couple on Monday. Subsequently, Kuneena asked his girlfriend to leave his house and proceeded to a local retail shop, where he purchased rat poison. He mixed the poison with his food, consumed it, and fell asleep.

Concerned neighbours noticed that the deceased had fallen asleep unusually early and immediately contacted local leaders for assistance. They forcefully opened the front door of his house and rushed him to a private clinic. Unfortunately, he passed away on Tuesday.

The girlfriend, whose identity remains unknown, has reportedly gone into hiding due to fear of community backlash. Kuneena’s is currently at the Buwenge Health Center IV mortuary, pending a postmortem examination before being handed over to his family for burial.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, a health worker revealed that Kuneena’s liver, kidneys, and small intestines were damaged which likely contributed to his death.

Swaibu Kiwaala, the LC 1 chairperson of the area, disclosed that Kuneena confessed to the poisoning incident while on his sickbed. Tragically, his condition worsened in the morning, leading to his passing.

Kiwaala urged the public to seek alternative methods of resolving relationship disputes rather than resorting to suicide. James Mubi, the Kiira Region police spokesperson, confirmed that cases involving infidelity, extramarital relationships, and mistrust contribute to high numbers of suicides in their jurisdiction.

Mubi also highlighted the underreporting of such cases, driven by concerns about tarnishing the deceased’s family reputation.