A 71-year-old woman from northern Uganda took her own life on Sunday after a prolonged land dispute with her son, according to local authorities and family members. Mary Adongo, who lived in Atilem Cell, Kole District, was discovered hanging in her home early Sunday morning. This followed her apparent frustration with the ongoing, unresolved conflict.
The dispute centered on a two-acre plot of land, with Adongo claiming her son, David Taki, had encroached on her property. Elders from the Arak Ongoda sub-clan met last week and suggested planting a live fence of Jatropha trees to settle the boundary issue.
On Saturday evening, Adongo asked another son, Jimmy Odongo, whether Taki had acted on the agreement. Upon learning he had not, she seemed upset but did not openly express severe distress, family members noted. She remained in good spirits that evening, even sending Jimmy to buy beans for dinner, though she mentioned pain in one eye. Nothing suggested she was considering suicide.
The next morning, Adongo’s daughter, Betty Atino, went to wake her for Sunday prayers but found her body in a dark room of the house. She was dressed neatly in a gomesi, as though ready for church. Vincent Okello Igel, the Arak Ongoda sub-clan chief, was among the first to arrive and noted a small table beneath her, indicating she had used it to carry out the act. Police investigated the scene and released the body to the family for burial.
Adongo’s death adds to Uganda’s growing suicide rates. The 2024 police crime report recorded a 26% increase, with 218 cases compared to 165 in 2023. Land disputes, especially within families, continue to fuel tensions in rural Uganda. Local authorities have since called on communities to pursue mediation and mental health support to avert similar incidents.