Senior One student commits suicide after allegedly impregnating 15-year-old girl

A brother to the deceased, said that his brother took a bottle of Paraquat, a pesticide which he had earlier bought to use in his garden. STOCK PHOTO

What you need to know:

  • Kennedy Ssempijja, 16, who had reported to Senior 1 at the beginning of this year before the Covid-induced lockdown, is said to have been in a relationship with the 15-year-old girl (names withheld) in Rakai District. 

Police in Rakai District are investigating circumstances under which a Senior One (S1) student of Kyotera Town Academy SS in Kyotera District committed suicide after allegedly impregnating a 15-year-old girl.

Kennedy Ssempijja, 16, who had reported to Senior 1 at the beginning of this year before the Covid-induced lockdown, is said to have been in a relationship with the 15-year-old girl (names withheld) in Rakai District. 

A brother to the deceased, said that his brother took a bottle of Paraquat, a pesticide which he had earlier bought to use in his garden.

“The girl’s parents came to our home and confronted our parents accusing my brother of impregnating their daughter and they asked Kennedy to either marry her or else they take the matter to authorities. They asked for Shs100,000 saying it was to take care of their pregnant daughter,” he recounted.

He added that his brother did not agree to pay the money as he denied being in a relationship with the girl. Ssempijja insisted the girl had other boyfriends and he couldn’t marry her since he was still a young boy.

Mr George William Tello, the father of Ssempijja said his son had ambitions of becoming an engineer and it’s sad that he has died before fulfilling his dream.

“Getting money to pay his school fees would be hectic but I knew he would make it and become an engineer because that was his dream,” he said.

According to a resident of the area, the deceased came from, Ssempijja and the girl had been friends and always went together in the morning to a welding workshop in the town and would later return home together.

“The two have been friends but I can’t tell whether their relationship was beyond friendship as people allege,” he said.

Ssempijja is said to have taken the Paraquat pesticide on October 25, and has been hospitalised at Rakai Hospital before he breathed his last on October 30.  

Mr Ben Niwamanya, the Rakai District Police Commander confirmed the incident, saying investigations into the matter are ongoing.