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Gulu City injects Shs80M into revamp of public cemetery

Gulu City, (UG):- The Gulu City Council on Monday 27th January handed a UGX 80 million project to Aka Construction Uganda Limited for the construction of a perimeter wall around the city cemetery in Pageya, Laroo-Pece City Division, Gulu City.

The project, which is set to be completed in three months, is being funded under the Program Conditional Grant for the 2024/2025 Financial Year, with a total cost of UGX 80,851,830.

Mrs. Doreen Aber Luboyo, the Gulu City Council Secretary for Health and Education, stated that the construction of the fence had been long overdue.

“We have been waiting for this project. It was our demand that this burial site be fenced even when Gulu City was still a Municipality. I’m happy that the fence will help address concerns from the neighboring community. We are looking forward to quality work,” she said.

The contractor has committed to working diligently to ensure the project is completed within the stipulated three-month period.

Innocent Ahimbisibwe, the City Town Clerk, urged the contractor to deliver a high-quality job and emphasized that technical personnel have been assigned to oversee the project and prevent shoddy work.

He instructed the environment officer, Ms. Aryemo Joyce Latigo, to ensure that the area is carefully restored with vegetation to make it appear green and welcoming.

“Follow the planned layout carefully to guide burials, so families can easily locate the graves of their loved ones,” he instructed.

A Team of Gulu City Council Leaders and Technocrats led by City Town Clerk Ahimbisibwe (right) showing the Site to the Contractor, Aka Construction Uganda Limited.

The Gulu City Cemetery, located approximately 10 kilometres along Moroto Road in Atede B Cell, east of Gulu City’s business center, was originally acquired by the former Gulu Municipality for the burial of unclaimed or unidentified bodies.

However, in a recent interview, Gulu City Mayor Alfred Okwonga revealed that the City Council is overwhelmed by the management of unclaimed bodies being brought in from neighboring districts such as Amuru, Omoro, Nwoya, and Gulu itself.

He called on these neighboring local governments to plan for their own burial sites for bodies found within their boundaries, to help alleviate the burden on Gulu City.

Dr. Daniel Okello, the City Health Officer, told Daily Express that Gulu City Council plans and budgets for managing between 20 to 25 unclaimed bodies each quarter. However, the actual number has often exceeded this estimate.

In the 2023/2024 Fiscal Year, Gulu City Council spent a significant amount of money, up to UGX 220,000 per body, to bury 124 unclaimed bodies.

The rising number of unclaimed bodies has been attributed to various factors, including accident victims transported by police from neighboring districts, patients who die at Gulu Regional Referral Hospital without relatives, and victims of mob violence.

Dr. Okello confirmed that about 25% of the cemetery’s 102-meter by 76-meter burial area in Atede B Cell has already been used.

The construction of the cemetery fence has brought relief to the surrounding community. Residents had been concerned about the improper handling of bodies, which led to environmental pollution from decomposing corpses and human carcasses carried into the area by dogs.

Opiyo Robert Ronny, the LC1 of Atede B Cell, expressed his happiness: “I am happy, and my people are happy now because the fence is finally being built.”

“We’ve been demanding this for too long. Imagine, in the last two years, workers left human bodies on the surface, and dogs carried body parts into the community. It’s unbelievable! We are relieved now.”

The Gulu City Cemetery complements other religious burial sites in the area, including the St. Joseph Cathedral Cemetery for Catholics in For God Cell, the St. Philips Cathedral Cemetery for Protestants in Mican Cell, and a Muslim Cemetery located about 3 kilometres north of the city center in Lawiyeadul B Cell.

Marking the Graves

As many families struggle to identify the graves of their loved ones due to inadequate documentation and grave marking, Patrick Okwang, the Principal Health Officer in charge of the environment, highlighted the importance of organizing paperwork for easier identification in the future.

“The first step will involve documenting the number of bodies entering the cemetery so that burials are arranged in segments. This will make it easier for families to locate and exhume their loved ones when needed,” Ogwang explained.

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