Africa-Press – Uganda. Police in Tororo District have identified the family that buried the remains of 18 people in Akworot South Village in Mukuju Sub-county.
The Resident District Commissioner, Mr Nickson Owole, who is also the head of security in the district, said the family of Saleh Mubarak, a resident of Amagoro “A” North Village in eastern Tororo Municipality, relocated the remains.
Initial reports had suggested that the graves were of strange bodies.
Mr Owole said the family exhumed the remains to pave way for construction of the standard gauge railway (SGR).
Construction of the SGR remains a mirage and government attempts to secure funding from China have thus far been unsuccessful, although the process of securing vacant possession of land for the project has been underway for years.
Mr Saleh’s family is among hundreds of residents who have been asked to vacate their land and relocate the graves of their relatives if possible after receiving their compensation.
The family bought land from the late Joseph Okumu Boma, a resident of Akworot South Village at Shs18m, where they relocated the remains .
However, following the mysterious death of Okumi on Friday, the residents mobilised and exhumed five of the remains.
Mr Owole in his September 20 letter also directed Saleh’s family to reexhume the bodies and re-bury them using recommended burial standards as well as respecting public health standards.
RDC order
“My office has been fully furnished with the information that you rightfully bought the land from the late Joseph Okumu Boma but while relocating the remains and bodies of your fallen relatives, you didn’t consider burial standards recommended by the public health act hence posing health hazard to the neighbouring communities in case it rains heavily therefore my office directs you to exhume and rebury them,” the letter reads in part.
