Pallisa, (UG):- The Kibale County Member of Parliament, Hon Richard Oseku Oriebo is expressing heartfelt concern on the manner the bereaved families are left in great financial injury and debts after the burial of their beloved family members.
Hon Oseku says people selected to steer the burial arrangements as the organizing committee should be looking at the affordability of the family not for estimating the number of mourners to come.
“I sometimes get disgusted on how the organizing committee comes up with a budget of say 7 million for a burial of a person who couldn’t raise 500,000 for treatment and make the family either sell the garden or mortgage it”, the MP said during a consultative meeting on Thursday with Kibaale County locals, encouraging them to join the County SACCO where he is a patron.
Hon Oseku further cautioned the clan leaders to play a pivot role in the burial arrangements rather than having an exaggerated budget meant to rejoice for one day while leaving the bereaved families heavily indebted.
“When the family is at a fix I request the organizing committee to just have a simple budget of posho and beans rather than going for 200 kgs of rice at 500,000, 100 kgs of posho at 200,000, 40 kgs of beans 160,000 and meat 100 kgs at 1,300,000 on top are ingredients then payment of a service provider at 200,000 this leaves the family more pained because apart from in-laws who are squeezed to contribute 100,000, it’s again politicians who condole with over 50,000 “, he stated, emphasizing that he is not forcing people to avoid rice and meat but is only concerned with burial demands.
Albert Opatana of Okaalei village in Opwateta sub-county said the observations of MP Oseku are real and people have copied this from other cultures. Opatana said people should not mistake the guidance of MP Oseku because it is worth acknowledging and learn to live within our means.
John Ogaram,63, of Ogaramio village in Pallisa Town Council said formerly in the early 80s to late 90s the neighbours used to bring all food items without disturbing the frustrated family that had lost a relative but currently a person is called aside in tears and challenged to explain how over 1000 estimated mourning will get back without a nice meal.
“Some people may not take the guidance of MP Oseku, actually it’s not proper to spend what you don’t have and look at the expenses of one day yet possibly the deceased has a family left behind”, Ogaram said.
Abraham Osire of Ometai village in the Akisim sub-county said most people now rely on unpredictable condolences from politicians. “Politicians on a weekly basis spend close to 1.4 million given the fact that on average seven people die. I like the Muslim arrangements of not considering the issue of coffins which are also costly”, he said.
At the same engagement, His Highness Papa Paul Sande Emolot Emorimor, the Paramount Chief of Iteso Cultural Union (ICU) urged his subjects to always have love for their language I always feel bad when my people even when they alone prefer English rather than Ateso.
“There are families especially those in town where English is a media of communication at home and the only identity one one being an Etesot is a name which is also misspelled. Okiria is now called Kirya, especially in Butebo and Pallisa”, Papa Emorimor said.
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