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MBARARA, WESTERN UGANDA — Shocking revelations have rocked Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital after it emerged that mortuary attendants have been running a full-blown extortion racket — squeezing cash out of grieving families in exchange for releasing bodies of their loved ones.
According to multiple whistleblowers within the hospital, the attendants charge between UGX 200,000 and 500,000 to “release” a body — a service that is supposed to be absolutely free of charge.
Families desperate to bury their loved ones are reportedly told to “pay for treatment” or “formalin,” yet insiders reveal that the government provides the chemical in full supply, free of cost.
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“This has been going on for years. The attendants have turned death into a business. They even boast of making more money than nurses,” one staff member, who requested anonymity, told this reporter.
Sources further allege that some members of the hospital administration are aware of the scam — and may even benefit from it. “They know everything. Some bosses are part of the game,” another insider claimed.
The extortion ring reportedly came to light after one furious relative nearly fought with the attendants, accusing them of “confiscating” the body of a loved one until a UGX 200,000 bribe was paid. The standoff almost turned violent before a crisis meeting was called.
A leaked internal memo shows that five mortuary attendants were issued warnings, but whistleblowers insist the punishment was “mere window dressing” meant to silence complaints.
To make matters worse, funeral homes have allegedly joined the racket, sneaking bodies out of the mortuary without proper registration — a practice that has left many families stranded or confused.
Efforts to get a comment from Dr. Deus Tumwesigye, the hospital’s acting director, proved futile as he declined to answer repeated phone calls. However, a memo seen by this publication shows that the administration has since cautioned mortuary staff “to be careful.”
As public outrage grows, families are now calling for government intervention to end the heartless extortion that has turned Mbarara’s mortuary into a money-minting den of greed and grief.
