By Precious Ankunda,
REGIONAL
A female market vendor in Namutumba district has ended her life after she allegedly failed to settle a debt of a tune of Shs150,000 she acquired from a village savings bank.
Safina Mbabazi, a resident of Kizuba Village, Kizuba Sub County in Namutumba District, reportedly acquired a loan from Kizuba Women Saving Group back in June at an interest of Shs60,000 to invest in her tomato-selling business.
This however did not go well as she had anticipated making her to default the group’s money.
According to the deceased sister, Juliet Nabbosa, Mbabazi contacted her recently seeking to get assistance but was surprised upon receiving the blacksmith news of her sister’s death.
“On Friday last week, I received a call from the deceased, saying she had failed to repay the loan yet she had only been given this month (November) to clear. I promised to support her with Shs100,000 but received news on Thursday morning about her death,” Nabosa said.
Diana Nandaula, the PRO Busoga East Regional Police says that preliminary reports indicate that the bank administrators had involved authorities to get her to comply something that could have mounted pressure on her.
Musa Kama, the village LC1 Secretary, said that they were preparing to go talk to Mbabazi when they received news of her demise.
“Last week, the saving group notified me of her debt and requested me to intervene; so, I was planning to engage my boss (LC1 chairperson) so that we can talk to her, but unfortunately she has ended her life,” he said.
Mbabazi has behind three children that she has been fending for on her tomato business. Multiple accounts say that she had lived in the rented room with her children for the past 10 years in Kizuba Trading Centre.
Nandaula, said that they are investigating the matter
“As Police, we are investigating, the rest will follow after we have established the cause of her death.”
Her body was taken to Nsinze Health Centre IV in Namutumba District for postmortem.
