A 19-year-old Ugandan woman accused of obtaining money through false pretense by faking a pregnancy has died after collapsing in court.
The deceased identified as Olivia Nassanga on Wednesday, May 26, collapsed in Mityana Magistrate’s Court where she had reported for her bail application, following her release from Mityana Prison.
According to the deceased’s mother, Ms Rhoda Bukirwa, a resident of Maanyi Sub County, Mityana District, Nassanga had been prosecuted for obtaining money by false pretense from one Owen Kawuki who she had reportedly deceived that she was pregnant with his child.
Ms Bukirwa, however, accuses Kawuki of being behind her daughter’s death.
“My daughter had reported to court for her bail obligation where she was offered a drink by Kawuki, which we suspect contained some chemical substances that could have caused her death,” she said.
According to Ms Bukirwa, the confession was made by her daughter on her death-bed, “She told me Kawuki offered her a drink stating that the differences between them certainly don’t make them enemies.” she said.
A lawyer identified as Jamira Kalungi reportedly found the now deceased Nassanga, lying in court in a seemingly poor state, ahead of the hearing session. Ms Kalungi reportedly notified the deceased’s lawyer, Mr Apollo Kazungu who was already at court in a certain office.
Mr Kazungu, according to the deceased’s mother, in turn offered his car, which they used to rush Nassanga to the nearest health centre. She was later referred to Mityana General Hospital where she breathed her last.
The suspect, Kawuki, has been arrested by Police as investigations into the matter take course.
“We have arrested the suspect Owen Kawuki to help us with investigating the real cause of the death,” Wamala region police spokesperson, Ms Racheal Kawala said, adding that, “the body is at Mityana General Hospital mortuary pending a postmortem report, to establish the real cause of death.
