Valued at Shs52.5m before engraving, the 2,100 chairs are expected to save burial committees Shs630,000 daily.
For years, death in Pallisa has come with a second pain: not the grave, but the scramble for chairs.
Families burying their loved ones have been forced to move from door to door, borrowing chairs from neighbours or hiring them at high costs just to accommodate mourners. At weddings and community meetings, the same challenge has persisted.
That scramble could now be a thing of the past.
The Pallisa District Woman Member of Parliament, Hon. Catherine Achola, has donated 2,100 chairs and a Fuso truck to serve all 21 sub-counties in the district.
Under the arrangement, each sub-county has received 100 chairs. The Fuso truck will transport the chairs to any village where they are needed and will also help ferry people during major community functions.
For ordinary families, particularly those organising burials, the donation is expected to provide significant relief. Organising a funeral already comes with substantial expenses, and hiring chairs has been an additional financial burden for many households.
Achola said the initiative was inspired by the overwhelming trust Pallisa residents showed her during the elections. She noted that Pallisa was among the few districts where voters elected their Woman MP without demanding money, a gesture she said had placed a greater responsibility on her to deliver.
“These chairs and the Fuso truck are my way of appreciating the people of Pallisa for the trust and love they showed me. I want to assure you that this is just the beginning. There are many more things coming,” Achola said.
Seasoned politician Dr Owako Martin said positive remarks should be made when and where they are due.
Dr Owako revealed that the 2,100 chairs, valued at Shs52.5 million before engraving, addressed a longstanding community need that had been overlooked for years.
“For long, our people have suffered in silence during burials. This intervention touches the real grassroots,” Dr Owako said.
From Kibale Sub-county, Mr Emmanuel Olebo said Achola had effectively saved burial organising committees Shs630,000 daily, considering that burials take place regularly across the district.
“Every day we bury. Every day we hire chairs. If you calculate 100 chairs at Shs500 to Shs700 per chair per day, per burial, across Pallisa, Achola has saved us Shs630,000 daily. That is huge,” Olebo explained.
In Akisim Sub-county, Mike Auki said residents who need the truck service also had a reason to smile because they would only be required to provide fuel.
“Even when Hon. Achola gives condolence of Shs50,000, the chairs alone make her the highest contributor at any burial. She has already paid for the chairs. No one else brings 100 chairs to a funeral,” Auki said.
Residents said the arrangement would be simple: whenever there is a burial, wedding or community meeting, the respective sub-county will release its 100 chairs, while the Fuso truck will deliver them to the venue. The system is expected to ease both the financial and transportation challenges, particularly in remote villages.
Achola urged residents to embrace unity and put aside political differences to focus on development. She said the chairs and truck should be regarded as community property, available to everyone regardless of their political affiliation.
With 2,100 chairs now in circulation and a Fuso truck ready to roll, Pallisa has gained more than furniture. It has gained dignity at funerals, order at weddings and relief at community gatherings.