The Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC) has raised alarm over severe congestion at Kirinya Prison in Jinja City, where the inmate population has risen to nearly 2,000 despite the facility being designed for only 397 prisoners.
Busoga region human rights officer Farouk Nyende said the prison, meant for 390 inmates, is now holding over 1,900.
‘Kirinya Prison in Jinja was constructed to hold about 397 inmates, but when we visited Friday afternoon, the number was close to 2,000,’ Mr Nyende said.
According to Mr Nyende, the overcrowding violates United Nations standards on prisoners’ rights. He told a stakeholders’ meeting at the UHRC regional office in Jinja that court delays are worsening the crisis.
‘When we were in prison, some inmates told us they filed appeals 10 years ago but they have not been heard. Why are court processes so slow?’ Mr Nyende wondered.
He noted that some suspects arrested during the Covid-19 lockdown are still on remand at Kirinya.
UHRC Acting Chairperson Lamex Omalla urged police, courts, civil society and the media to respect and promote rights.
‘Your presence here demonstrates continued commitment to the protection and promotion of human rights in Uganda. Let us respect the freedom of everybody,’ Mr Omalla said.
He added that UHRC depends on partners for information and reaffirmed the commission’s commitment to monitoring violations, noting there has been improvement by security operatives in Busoga.
To reduce congestion, the Kiira Regional CIID officer in charge, Mr Daniel Batte said police have adopted pre-arrest investigations.
‘We have instructed our officers to conduct thorough investigations before making arrests in order to reduce congestion in police cells. Where appropriate, suspects are granted police bond, while those whose case files are complete are promptly produced in court to prevent violations of their rights,’ Mr Batte said. He said community members including boda boda riders and traditional healers are now providing information to speed up investigations.
Mr Batte added that police are encouraging reconciliation for minor disputes due to prison congestion.
‘Due to congestion in prisons, police often encourage parties involved in minor disputes to pursue reconciliation and other lawful alternative dispute resolution mechanisms so that matters can be resolved without court convictions,’ he said.
Jinja Assistant Resident City Commissioner Mr Michael Kasedde appealed to UHRC to attend local government security meetings and pledged land for permanent offices.
‘I will engage the City Clerk on the allocation of land to the commission so that it can construct permanent offices and reduce expenditure on rent, considering the important work you are doing,’ Mr Kasedde said.
Kirinya’s population is nearly five times its approved capacity, a level that falls far below Uganda’s constitutional guarantees and the UN Nelson Mandela Rules requiring humane, safe detention.
The congestion strains inmates, staff and the justice system, reinforcing calls for urgent reforms in case handling, sentencing alternatives and timely court processes to reduce remand numbers.