Byabashaija decries large population of inmates in prisons across country, calls for action

“Uganda has only 254 prisons and the total of the inmates is 54,538.  Our standard holding capacity is exceeded by 37,258 inmates and this is a serious problem to us,”  Byabashaija told the committee.

Byabashaija noted that if the situation is not looked into by the end of this Financial Year2018/19, inmates’ population will be over 59,641, exceeding  the holding capacity by 42,361.
According to Byabashaija’s report he presented before the committee, last Financial Year 2017/18, prison holding capacity increased from 16,612 to 17,280 prisoners.

Currently Upper Prison, Luzira has 3,190 inmates yet it’s holding capacity is 756. In Masindi, the facility was built to hold 262 inmates but currently there are about 1,222 prisoners. Lira Prison is currently holding 679 prisoners instead of 121 prisoners and Logore Prison capacity of 250 has been overshadowed by the 880 inmates incarcerated there.