A suspected money-lending debt crisis has taken a deadly turn in Nansana West Ward after a landlady allegedly set fire to her rental block, killing herself and two tenants in the early hours of Monday.

The three victims have been identified as landlady Violet Nanyombi, tenant Annet Namulondo and her husband, Isabirye Bumali.

Police said the fire broke out at about 2:00am in a building that had been partitioned into six rental units.

Before the blaze, Nanyombi reportedly took her nine-year-old daughter out of the house, gave her money to clear outstanding school fees and handed her a handwritten note containing what local leaders described as a will.The fire had intesfied by the time the fire brigade arrived which had forced the other tenants and neighbour’s to attempt it using water.
Mukiibi described Nanyombi as a very reserved person and said the circumstances that led to the incident were unclear.
Nansana Municipality Mayor Samuel Mugabi, however, said preliminary information indicated that Nanyombi had been under pressure from money lenders over an unpaid loan.

“I had received information that she was being harassed by money lenders, who kept calling her from morning to evening yesterday. We should be cautious with money lenders: that is why she was able to write her will before taking her own life,” Mugabi said.

Mugabi urged community members to speak to neighbours, local leaders or religious leaders when they notice people facing distress that could led them to suicide, particularly where others may be placed at risk.

Kampala Metropolitan Regional police commander SSP Moses Nanoka said that the incident also high lightened the importance of stronger neighbourhood security and timely communication with police.
“If we had received the call earlier, we could have saved some lives. So far, we have recovered three bodies, and we are waiting for the homicide team to arrive and conduct further investigations. We could find more bodies. The team will also help us establish what exactly caused the incident,” Nanoka said.
Nanoka urged residents to ensure they have contact details for police officers responsible for their areas and strengthen neighborhood watch arrangements.

The Nansana incident comes month after a separate incident in Bunga, Makindye Division, where a woman locked herself inside her house and stabbed her five children, killing two and injuring three, before stabbing herself and attempting to set the house ablaze.