Ugandan mental health advocates and civil society groups have called for the decriminalisation of suicide and attempted suicide, emphasising the need to treat suicidal distress as a health issue instead of a crime. The appeal was made during a press briefing held on 1 October 2026 at the StrongMinds Uganda offices in Bugolobi, Kampala.
Currently, Uganda’s legal framework criminalises suicide and attempted suicide under Section 210 of the Penal Code. This policy penalises individuals in crisis instead of offering them support or care, according to a Cambridge University research paper on suicide attempts in rural Uganda. Advocates argue that this punitive approach discourages vulnerable people from seeking help.
Grace Obalim, Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Advisor at TPO Uganda, said during the briefing, “This is not how we want to continue, but decriminalise suicide. This is our ask as CSOs. Can we together change the narrative towards suicide?”
Rebecca Nabirabwa, Community Mental Health Specialist at StrongMinds Uganda, added, “At StrongMinds Uganda, our mission is grounded in a simple but powerful truth: suicidal distress is a mental health crisis, not a crime.”
Mercy Omona, member of the Uganda Parliamentary Forum on Mental Health, stressed the complexity of suicidal behaviour: “By the time someone thinks of taking their life, it is not that someone just wants to die. It is a long process. No one wakes up in the morning and says, ‘I want to die’.” She also highlighted the harm caused by the current legal system, saying, “Right now, our system punishes people who attempt suicide, and many cannot speak out because of it.”
The briefing also addressed the growing mental health challenges among young people. Dauda Mwebika from Uganda’s Ministry of Education and Sports reported that “Nearly one in three school-going learners have a mental health problem.” The ministry has developed national guidelines on mental health in schools to help address these issues, though the extent of their current dissemination across the country remains to be verified.
Uganda’s Mental Health (Amendment) Act, CAP 308, marks a significant shift towards preventive, community-based mental health care integrated into primary health services, moving away from institutionalised treatment. This legislative direction is supported by mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) partners working with refugees and vulnerable populations.
A recent Uganda Refugee Response suicide tracking dashboard for June 2026 monitored cases of suicide attempts and deaths among those supported by MHPSS partners. However, some reported figures from civil society sources about the number of cases over several months remain unverified without direct confirmation from official sources.
The push for legal reform and improved mental health care reflects growing awareness of suicide prevention as a public health priority in Uganda. It calls on policymakers, communities, and health systems to break the silence, fight stigma, and provide compassionate care for those in suicidal distress.
Cape Flats News will continue to follow developments on this important issue, awaiting further updates on legislative progress and the roll-out of mental health support programmes in Uganda.