The Commissioner-General of Prisons, Dr Johnson Byabashaija has lifted Covid-19 restrictions on the visitations of inmates. However, to ensure safety for all, the prisons’ boss maintains that visitors must be vaccinated.
Dr Byasahaija imposed Covid-19 directives for Prison services across the country two years back after the outbreak of Covid-19 in March 2020. These included restrictions for the public visiting inmates. The purpose of restrictions was to protect inmates from getting infected with Covid-19 by the visitors.
Following the lifting of the lockdown and the re-opening of the economy by President Yoweri Museveni, on Monday, Dr Byabashaija directed all prison Officers in Charge in all prison centres across the country to relax the directives.
Byabashaija whose statement was delivered by the spokesperson of the Uganda Prison Service Frank Baine during the press briefing at Police Headquarters said, everything is getting back to normal, so even Uganda Prison Services has to lift some Covid-19 restrictions.
“In view of the current trend of the Covid-19 pandemic and the presidential directives on re-opening of the economy, restrictions imposed on the service due to Covid-19 have to be lifted, therefore an admission of the new prisoners has been reverted to the old centres (We are no-longer using isolations centre)” said Byabashaija.
Other new changes include resuming normal court operations and visitations (all visitors have been allowed in the normal centres, however during the covid-19 restrictions it was only for some few special cases but now it’s open) However prisoners’ visitors must present evidence of full vaccination against covid-19 and must have their vaccinations cards. “Visitation is open but one must come with evidence to confirm that you were vaccinated,” he added.
Prison officers have been asked to ensure strict observance of wearing masks, social distance and sanitizations both during visitations and court operations. Officers in Charge (OCs) have also been asked to ensure that unvaccinated prisoners receive Covid-19 vaccination on entry.
All the 59 isolation centres across the country have been closed however the treatment centres such as Gulu, Jinja main and Kampala remand are still open, and OCs have been also tasked to establish handwashing materials for the staff
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