AMOLATAR – Amolatar District has broken ground for the construction of a modern mortuary at Amolatar Health Centre IV, in a project valued at Shs250 million aimed at ending years of challenges in preserving deceased bodies.
The project is being implemented through a public-private partnership between the Amolatar District Local Government and Woman Member of Parliament Janet Auma Okao.
For years, families in Amolatar have had to transport the bodies of their loved ones for more than 80 kilometres to Lira Regional Referral Hospital because the district lacked a proper mortuary facility. The situation has imposed additional financial and logistical burdens on grieving families.
Speaking during the groundbreaking ceremony, Okao described the project as a major step towards restoring dignity to bereaved families.
“This is a historic moment for our people. No family should endure the pain of losing a loved one and then struggle to find a decent place to preserve the body. We are bringing dignity back to our communities,” Okao said.
Amolatar District Chief Administrative Officer (CAO), Rodha Oroma, assured residents that the facility would be constructed according to national standards.
Oroma said the district would closely supervise the project to ensure that the contractor meets all technical specifications and delivers quality work.
“We have learnt from past mistakes. This project will be executed with transparency and professionalism. I personally pledge that my office will ensure the contractor adheres to all technical specifications,” she said.
District LC5 Chairperson Morish Ogwal Omara commended Okao for initiating the project, saying it demonstrates the impact of leaders prioritising the needs of their communities.
“I applaud Janet Auma Okao for this noble gesture. But I also want to call upon our residents who have the means—those with money and resources—to step forward and help the district. Development should not be left to politicians alone. We are all stakeholders,” Ogwal said.
He also invited individuals and organisations willing to partner with the district on development projects to come forward.
Sam Omara, Director of the Uganda Christian Institute for Professional and Development (UCI), who represented Okao at the ceremony, said the project would prioritise locally available materials and labour.
“We shall use available raw materials sourced from within Amolatar to the greatest extent possible. For what we cannot find locally, we will import, but the labour—the jobs—will go to Amolatar residents,” Omara said.
He added that the approach would help create employment opportunities while ensuring that money generated from the project remains within the local economy.
Health workers welcome development
Dr. Lurru, the health in-charge at Amolatar Health Centre IV, described the mortuary as a long-overdue development.
He said the health facility has struggled for years to handle deceased bodies because of inadequate preservation facilities.
“This comes at the right time. We have suffered silently—handling bodies in makeshift conditions, sometimes turning away relatives because we lacked proper preservation space,” Dr. Lurru said.
He added that the new mortuary would improve the handling of bodies and contribute to better health service delivery at the facility.
The project was formally approved by the Amolatar District Council on August 3, 2026, and is expected to be completed within the current financial year.
Apart from preserving bodies, the facility is expected to provide a training centre for health workers in post-mortem procedures and forensic handling, which would be a new service for the district.
District health officials said the mortuary could also help reduce pressure on Lira Regional Referral Hospital, which receives bodies from Amolatar and neighbouring districts.
Communities in Kole, Dokolo and Kaberamaido are also expected to benefit from the facility, potentially positioning Amolatar as a sub-regional health service centre.
However, some district councillors called for a clear maintenance and sustainability plan to ensure the facility remains operational after construction. The CAO assured them that maintenance arrangements would be incorporated into the facility’s operational framework.
Residents have welcomed the development, with some recounting difficulties they have faced when transporting bodies to Lira, only to find the referral hospital’s mortuary full.
John Okello, a trader and father of six from Amolatar Town Council, said the facility would give families more time to mourn and prepare for burials.
“Many times we have buried our people in haste because we had nowhere to keep them. This mortuary will give us time to mourn properly and plan for a dignified send-off,” Okello said.
District leaders described the partnership between the local government and MP Okao as an example of how political leaders, communities and private citizens can work together to address critical service gaps.
They called on other leaders and well-wishers to support similar initiatives aimed at improving health services and living conditions in Amolatar.
