MONEY LENDERS PRESSURE! Nansana Landlady Under Sh60,000-a-Day Loan Pressure Gives Daughter Will, Sends Her Away Before Torching Rentals; 3 Dead Including Herself

NANSANA — 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 note reportedly identified who should look after the child and manage Nanyombi’s property until she turns 18.

But the note also revealed another troubling detail — Nanyombi allegedly had a loan and was paying Shs60,000 every day.

Nansana West Village Chairperson George Mukiibi said the note did not clearly explain why Nanyombi had decided to end her life, but mentioned the loan and the daily repayment.

“In that will, she also mentioned that she had a loan, without disclosing where she got it from, saying she was paying Shs60,000 daily,” Mukiibi said.

MONEY LENDERS IN SPOTLIGHT

Nansana Municipality Mayor Sam Mugabi said preliminary information indicated that Nanyombi had been under pressure from moneylenders over an unpaid loan.

Mugabi said she had reportedly received repeated calls from moneylenders on Sunday, with the pressure allegedly continuing from morning until evening.

“I have received information that she was being harassed by money lenders, who kept calling her from morning to evening yesterday,” Mugabi said.

He urged residents facing distress over debts or other problems to seek help from relatives, local leaders or religious leaders before situations escalate.

FIRE TRAPS TENANTS

According to Mukiibi, the fire had intensified by the time firefighters arrived, forcing tenants and neighbours to try to contain the flames using water.

Kampala Metropolitan Regional Police Commander SSP Moses Nanoka said three bodies had been recovered from the scene, with homicide investigators expected to conduct a detailed examination.

“If we had received the call earlier, we might have saved more lives,” Nanoka said.

He said investigators would establish what exactly caused the fire and whether there were any other victims.

Nanoka urged residents to maintain communication with police officers responsible for their areas and strengthen neighbourhood watch systems.

Police also cautioned residents to exercise care when using cooking appliances and keep flammable materials away from sleeping areas.

POLICE PROBE DEATHS

Although preliminary accounts have pointed to a possible suicide and deliberate setting of the fire, police said investigations were still underway to establish the circumstances surrounding the deaths.

The incident has also raised concerns about the effects of aggressive debt collection and the need for communities to identify people experiencing severe distress before tragedies occur.

The Nansana incident comes months after another disturbing incident in Bunga, Makindye Division, where a woman allegedly locked herself inside her house and attacked her five children, killing two and injuring three, before stabbing herself and attempting to set the house on fire.