Over 10 graves affected in Masaka City roadworks

Masaka Diocese has invited people whose relatives were buried in the diocesan cemetery to relocate their bodies to pave way for the expansion of the Nyendo–Kitovu access Road.

The roadworks are going to be undertaken by Chongquing International Construction Corporation, a firm upgrading most of the roads in Masaka City.

Fr Deusdedit Luyimbaazi, who is in charge of estates in Masaka Diocese, said at least 10 graves will be affected.

“We decided to make announcements on local radios to enable relatives of the deceased to come and take their remains to another site,” Fr Luyimbaazi said during an interview at the weekend.

He said the cemetery holds remains of different priests and Christians who used to work at Our Lady of Sorrows Cathedral-Kitovu, the seat of Masaka Diocese.

According to him, some Christians decided to be buried in the diocesan cemetery despite the fact that they had their families.

“Among the people buried in the cemetery include the mother of the first African bishop of Masaka Diocese, Archbishop Joseph Kiwanuka Nakabaale, but her grave is safe,” he added.

Fr Luyimbazi said if the relatives don’t show up, the diocese will petition court seeking an order to exhume the bodies.

“We want to make it clear that there will be no compensation and the diocese will meet all costs of exhuming the bodies since we are the ones who pushed for the construction of the road,” he said.

Ms Rosemary Nankubuge, a resident of Bigando Village and one of the people whose relatives lie in the cemetery, said she is lucky the graves of her grandparents are located outside the demarcated route for the roadworks.

“Both our grandparents decided that they should be buried in the diocesan cemetery because they were too religious,” Ms Nankubuge said.

Ms Teopista Namata, a resident of Kitovu, said Uganda National Roads Authority should spare the cemetery and make the expansion on the other side of the road.

“Transferring the dead bodies to another location has challenges. I always see people who exhume bodies getting problems, but we pray that this doesn’t happen here,” Ms Namusu said.

In most communities, people fear to dig up and relocate graves due to the traditional fear attached to the dead.

Mr Steven Kizza, the Unra engineer in Masaka, said the roadworks will cover a distance of 4.6 kms.

“We are going to start with the other roads and end with Nyendo-Kitovu road,” he said.

Mr Kizza didn’t state the exact date that  the works would start.

Other access roads to be constructed include the stretch from Kako SS linking to Nyendo- Bukakkata road, Old Kumbu Road, Villa Road, and Muteesa I Royal University Road. The earmarked roads have been in sorry state yet they are located in the city.

Funding

Masaka City has in the last six years benefited from the World Bank funded Uganda Support to Municipal Infrastructure Development (USMID) programme, which has seen most of the access roads tarmacked and solar lights installed.

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