With the exception of those in the Islam faith, it has veen a norm that Ugandans would spend at least three days mourning their loved ones before burrial. To some extent, these would wait longer and would burry any day of the week.
This is bound to change however if the government approves the proposed National Funeral Management Policy. As part of the proposals, government seeks to introduce weekends as days of mourning and burrial ceremonies in Uganda.
If it goes according to plan, this implies that both Saturday and Sunday will be the only legal days for one to be burrows. Shortly after the burrial, it is proposed that the relatives will be required to return to work immediately. Uganda will not be the first country to have Burrials on weekends because Kenya ha s the same policy.
As part of the proposed policies, government also wants to harmonisé the management of state, official funerals as well as funerals of the common citizens. The proposed policy also seeks to establish National burrial grounds for state Diginitaries.
According to the zero draft policy on the Regulatory Impact Assessment for the National Funerals Management 2021, the New Vision has seen , the burrial of state Diginitaries has led to high expenditures and sometimes uncertainty due to lack of standard procedures.
Mary Mugasa, the Minister of state for Public Service said consultations are intended to establish issues affecting funeral management in the Country. In addition, she said:
" The proposed policy will enable the country streamline management of all kinds of funerals in the Country."
Mugasa made the remarks after the one day event on the review of the zero draft policy that was held on Wednesday at the National Records and Archives Center, Wandegeya in Kampala.
