What you need to know before exhuming a body

Jul 07, 2020

Recently, the late singer Paul Kafeero has been in news, his family wants to exhume his body due to wrangles.

Traditionally, almost all cultures respect the dead. In some tribes, any discussion about the dead is a taboo and graveyards are best left alone. Some people fear to dig up and relocate graves due to the traditional fear attached to the dead.

But with modernity, people are giving up such beliefs and burial grounds are being sold off to developers and some families have issues of property sharing.  

Recently, the late singer Paul Kafeero has been in news, his family wants to exhume his body due to wrangles. 

It is exactly 13 years since Kafeero died at Mulago hospital, but the family wants to perform a DNA test to settle a paternity dispute.

When the singer died in 2007, many women came out to claim that he had fathered children with them.

Robinah Bisirikirwa the wife to late Kafeero says the family members who want to exhume Kafeero's body are not related to him, they just want to exhume the body to carry out evil practices. To her it is not about the DNA tests, it is greed at play. 

It is not Kafeero's case only many cases are happening in Uganda.

The service of exhuming bodies varies from one culture to another. (Photo by Umar Nsubuga)


Stories are told of how the dead if poorly handled, can mess up the lives of those who tamper with them.

It is for this reason that while relocating graves, traditionalists advise that one has to slaughter a white hen and black goat as a way of appeasing the spirits.

The service of exhuming bodies varies from one culture to another. In Buganda, traditionalists slaughter cocks and goats during the ceremony. Exhuming is done at night while reburying the bodies may be done during the day.

Herbert Kasi 70 an elder at Matugga says to exhume a body, it is important for the entire family to agree to have the remains relocated lest they face a calamity.

Muwada Nkunyingi an Advocate with Muwada and Co. Advocates says the law does not prohibit development on burial grounds, but according to the Penal Code, digging up graves without permission is a criminal offence, and it is recorded as "Disturbing the peace of the dead".

"You can buy such land and carry out whatever development you want", he says. However, he adds "The criminal law creates offences against desecrating the dead even if it is your own land".

He says by desecrating the dead, one hurts other people's feelings, especially relatives of the dead, and according to Article 120 of the panel code, such a person commits a misdemeanour and can be imprisoned up to three years or fined.

Nkunyingi said it is very important to co-operate with the relatives of the dead to transfer the dead bodies to another location before any development on land is done.

The Town and country planning Act prescribes stringent rules regarding burial grounds. Such rules relate to hygiene to protect the health of residents.

Matia Lwanga Bwanika the district Chairperson Wakiso District said before any exhumation, one should ask relatives of the dead to remove the remains.

To exhume a body, it is important for the entire family to agree to have the remains relocated lest they face a calamity.(Photo by Umar Nsubuga)


The developer only takes up the responsibility of exhumation after proving that the owners are not interested.

However, before exhumation, there is need to seek permission from the district authorities. One needs to contact the local council officials, who write letters to the resident district commissioner. The district director of health services then states the requirements for exhumation to be fulfilled before exhumation.

Dr Hassan Mayanja a physician said the exercise is supposed to be supervised by a health inspector and the people to exhume must be given health-protective clothing like masks and gloves.

After exhumation, the ground must be sprayed with disinfectants to avoid the spread of infectious diseases. "The body should be wrapped and transported in a vehicle separate from that used by the other people", Mayanja advised

According to Bwanika, the district health team must permit one to exhume bodies, the team carries out thorough investigations to prove whether relatives have consented.

According to Nkunyingi, exhumations are common in Kampala and the surrounding areas today because of the high value of land. However, many people don't follow the right procedure, partly because of ignorance and laxity in law enforcement.

"Some officials connive with developers to exhume bodies without informing district leaders", Bwanika said. 

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