Businessman Sudhir Ruparelia leads in carrying the casket containing the body of his son Rajiv Ruparelia ahead of cremation at the Hindu Crematorium at Lugogo, Kampala, on May 6, 2025. PHOTO/GEOFREY MUTUMBA
Tucked away on Naguru Road, just a few metres off the Lugogo Bypass, is the Lugogo Hindu Crematorium. On this particular afternoon in 2023, I arrive at around 2pm just in time to witness one of the day’s cremation ceremonies.
The cremation takes place under a modest structure housing two metallic beds. Soon after my arrival, a pick-up truck brings in a load of firewood, carefully selected from the store, a mix of long and short pieces.
These are laid on the metallic bed before a casket containing the deceased’s remains is wheeled in from a funeral van. Once the casket is placed on the wood, family members are invited to pay their final respects. More firewood is added on top of the body, and cow ghee—used as a catalyst—is applied.
A fire is lit at one end, slowly consuming the pyre. Mr Raju Vaya, the chairperson of the Sri Sanatan Dharma Mandal, says. “This place, the crematorium, we call a final destination. For any Hindu or a Sanatan who has been born in this religion, our final stop is here.
So we respect this place like a temple,” he explains. While primarily used by the Hindu community, the crematorium also serves individuals of other faiths who opt for cremation. Mr Paresh Mehta, a trustee of the Mandal, elaborates.
“Cremation is an individual’s choice. For us Hindus, it carries deep spiritual meaning. We believe we are made of five elements—wind, earth, sky, water, and fire—and in death, we return to them,” he adds.
According to the attendants, the entire process takes about two hours to complete. Chairperson Raju Vaya outlines the cremation procedure.
“When the body arrives, it’s placed on a platform for mourners to offer flowers and pay final respects. Then, we take four ritual rounds around the body before setting it on the wood. Traditionally, the fire is started at the right toe,” he says. However, cremation cannot proceed without the necessary documentation.
These include a death certificate, a post-mortem report, a burial/cremation permit from KCCA, a copy of the deceased’s passport, authorisation from the next of kin and a letter of registration of death from the relevant high commission (for foreign nationals) The cremation service is not free.
“We incur costs for firewood, ghee, and facility maintenance,” says Mehta.
“We charge a nominal fee of Shs1.2m so families feel they have contributed to the process,” he adds.
Once cremation is complete, only bones remain. These are referred to as ashes and are handed over to the family, who often immerse them in a river or other running water, believed to be spiritually cleansing. In some cases, families opt to keep the ashes.
Inside a special room at the crematorium, shelves hold neatly arranged urns—each bearing the name of a person who was cremated here. It’s a sign of changing times: a growing number of Ugandans are choosing cremation.
