State funeral for Governor Mutebile charms locals, strains taxpayers

After two years of Covid-related restrictions, government and the Central Bank put on a tour de force to bid farewell to Emmanuel Tumusiime-Mutebile, the governor for a record 21 years. 

Public service standing orders provide for funerals of public servants at a rate of 30 percent of their last annual salary adjusted for rank and time of service. Very few public servants notice that this is part of their lifetime benefits. For most of them these funds traditionally were administered by the Ministry of Public Service. 

Leaders of political parties in Parliament have also negotiated a package for themselves that was used to pay for official funerals of fallen party leaders like John Sebaana Kizito and Boniface Byanyima. They only require a cabinet to endorse dipping into this kitty. 

At a funeral planning meeting I attended at the Office of the Prime Minister five years ago for yet another public servant, we arrived pocket in check with a request mostly to manage the entourage of mourners who were barging into the deceased’s compound. The organisation of the meeting was quite serious. There were in attendance a deputy prime minister, minister of Public Service, a minister of Finance along with three permanent secretaries. 

The chairman of the meeting after opening remarks quickly moved on to guide the meeting to its central purpose establishing a budget to mourn a distinguished daughter of Uganda. The permanent secretary for Public Service was asked for a ballpark figure. She guided the meeting that in the ensuing 12 months, three heads of state had been buried, [these were the co-chairmen of the Military Commission] in 1980 at a budget of about Shs110 million each. Given that the deceased’s service was more recent she felt Shs160 million was more appropriate. I thought there would be some more discussion on this amount or even a debate. 

Not to waste time, the deputy prime minister quickly motioned to the minister of Finance to confirm release of funds which would come via a soft loan from one ministry to another. The meeting noted that this arm of government should come up with a funded line for these kinds of events. Quickly the Ministry of Public Service motioned that government had taken over the funeral. The soft spoken cabinet minister also said there would be a seven-gun salute.

A few goodbyes and we left with our tiny budget of Shs28 million which we felt was more than adequate to do the bidding. The State quickly moved into motion handing us phone numbers of police to ease our movement in this time of bereavement. If this was one government programme, it was carried out with most efficiency. A trip to Parliament, to houses of worship and finally to resting place. You would think our healthcare system or public services would benefit with this kind of precision.

Former Vice President Specioza Kazibwe once said we should consider cremating human remains. She was laughed at out of town. Her Roman Catholic faith actually believes in blessing the body before it is interred, a situation at odds with the biology of human remains. Catholic bishops have a choice of being interred in their dome (Cathedral). Three archbishops lie in Lubaga Cathedral alone; Joseph Cabana, Joseph Kiwanuka and in 2021 Cyprian Lwanga. Former Kenya Attorney General Charles Njonjo and Nobel Laureate Wangari Maathai opted to be cremated. 

Managing human remains has also preoccupied other political systems. Arlington Cemetery is the destination of most American public leaders, presidents, vice presidents, cabinet secretaries by law have this option. 

In Uganda this has not caught on, Kololo is unlikely to host any more graves. Hannah Lule widow of Prof. Yusuf Lule always shuddered at how bad the decision to bury her husband in Kololo was.  Twice president, twice deposed Apollo Milton Obote is still lying in Akokoro, but buried alone.  Maybe we should do for the dead what we can when alive. Fortunately Mutebile was well taken care of. 

Mr Ssemogerere is an Attorney-At-Law and an Advocate. 

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