Press reports at the time suggested Baguma was starving. A post-mortem she died from alcohol poisoning and ketoacidosis, but also found no evidence of a history of alcohol abuse, the Herald reported.
According to the charity Positive Action in Housing, Baguma was struggling before her death because she lost her job when her leave to remain in the UK expired. She submitted an asylum claim but under the rules was barred from working, and relied on charities and friends for food and essentials.
Eric Nnana, father of Baguma's child, has called for a fatal accident inquiry (FAI) into her death. “There’s still so many mysteries about what happened ... I think an FAI is the best and maybe the only way to see, learn and improve things," he said, according to a report in the Herald.
“Mercy was a rainbow,” a close friend told the Guardian. “She had such a vibrant spirit. As a friend, she would always put you first. She really was the best of the best.”