Lack of facilities and resistance slow down push for cremation to control land use
Friday December 31 2021
The government is encouraging communities to embrace cremation to reduce land allocated for cemeteries. PHOTO | CYRIL NDEGEYA
Lack of enough facilities and resistance from communities have frustrated the government's efforts to popularise adoption of cremation in the country.
While the government enacted a law that requires reuse of cemetery land after 10 or 20 years, most cemeteries have tombs made of cement and concrete that last longer than the time the law stipulates.
And the law on cremation that was published in 2012 to ensure utilization of land designated for the dead has not taken off partly due to lack of enough cremation facilities.
It is also anticipated that the current cost of burial could reduce significantly if cremation facilities were available.
For example, estimated cost of using the public cemetery in Rusororo is between Rwf20,000 to Rwf 60,5000 compared with Rwf 500,000 for cremation service that mostly requires firewood, oil and scent.
"...The cremation has not yet taken off due to lack of facilities. We are still engaging our partners to get the tools…"said Curio Joseph, Public Relations Officer of the Ministry of Local Government told Rwanda Today, adding that once the facilities are available they will roll out a public awareness campaign to encourage use.
Currently the only functional cremation facility is operated by the Hindu Mandal Temple of Rwanda, that runs a crematorium oven operating from Bugesera that charges Rwf 500, 000 for each dead body.
The company told Rwanda Today that it has never received any Rwandan residents in need of cremation services, but only foreigners.
Besides people's beliefs and culture as the major hindrance factors, the Hindu Mandal Temple of Rwanda is acting as the only private service provider in the country.
More than 15 people including china, Indians, Americans and Canadians have been cremated this year according to J.Pierre Karekezi, the Crematoria Oven Manager.
The ashes from a dead body are considered as the property of the family of the dead person or the Government.
The container in which ashes are kept must be made in; clay, metal, glass, or wood with the dead one's introduction.
The ashes can be buried in a public cemetery, a private cemetery, at home, or any place determined by family members of the deceased or the government in case the deceased does not have a family.