ugnet_: Uganda: A boycott of funerals on the cards-BBC

[Omar Kezimbira]

Last Updated: Monday, 28 July, 2003, 14:14 GMT 15:14 UK E-mail this to a friend Printable version

Uganda funeral boycott threat

Funerals are a costly business for relatives A boycott of funerals could be on the cards in eastern Uganda after an outspoken bishop banned the providing of lavish hospitality for mourners. Bishop Nicodemus Okille of the Anglican Diocese of Bukedi told mourners at a weekend funeral service that the culture of slaughtering livestock to feed them should stop immediately. He said the practice is a form of corruption that impoverishes the bereaved families. His remarks came at the weekend funeral of a poor widow after her son was forced to slaughter the only milk cow he owned in order to prepare a decent meal for the mourners. The bishop should not expect me to eat millet bread with beans after I have wasted several calories fixing the grave Gravedigger Speaking on the BBC Network Africa programme, Bishop Okille said his comments at the funeral were just part of his obligation to speak up for the poor. "I was challenging the new culture in burials," he said Food and drink Neighbours used to provide food for the grieving family, he said, but he believed growing poverty had led them to drop this local custom. Mourners at the funeral, however, were unhappy with the bishop's comments and some have threatened to boycott funerals if food and drinks are not served. Some of the elderly men attending the burial said the bishop should not interfere with deeply rooted cultural practices. One disappointed gravedigger told the BBC's Abraham Odeke: "The bishop should not expect me to eat millet bread with beans after I have wasted several calories fixing the grave. "We should maintain the practice of cooking meat and rice for the mourners." E-mail this to a friend Printable version LINKS TO MORE AFRICA STORIES

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