Inmates in several prisons in Sembabule District have complained of prolonged pre-trial detention, blaming slow court processes and a shortage of prosecutors for delaying justice.
The concerns were raised on Friday during a pastoral visit by Masaka Bishop Severus Jjumba, to Sembabule Main Prison, Ntuusi Prison and Lwemiyaga Prison.
Inmates said the lack of prosecutors in the district had resulted in cases stalling for long periods, leaving many prisoners on remand well beyond statutory timelines.
At Lwemiyaga Grade Two Magistrates Court, inmates said there is currently no prosecutor, a situation they say has paralysed court proceedings.
An inmates’ captain at Ntuusi Prison, who asked not to be named, said several prisoners would either have completed their sentences or been released had their cases been heard in time.
‘We believe that your voice as Bishop can be heard by the higher authorities. We pray that you ask the authorities to address the challenges leading to overstay on remand without our cases being heard,’ he claimed.
The officer in charge of Ntuusi Prison, Peter Olo, acknowledged that slow judicial processes were affecting prison operations, noting that many inmates were yet to appear before court.
‘We have several inmates who have not yet been heard. This affects our work and we ask the Judiciary to address those gaps,’ Olo told Monitor.
At Lwemiyaga Prison, both administrators and inmates also raised concerns over chronic water shortages, saying prisoners are forced to walk long distances in search of water.
Sembabule Resident District Commissioner Jane Francis Kagayi assured inmates that the staffing gaps within the courts would soon be addressed.
‘Government recently announced a robust recruitment programme across all government departments including the Judiciary. So I’m optimistic that it will be handled. I will also amplify the voice,’ Kagayi said.
Bishop Jjumba urged inmates not to lose hope, telling them they still had a role to play in society after serving their sentences.
‘Never lose hope because there is life after here. Just reflect on the past and turn to God so that by the time of getting back to your communities you have transformed,’ he said.
He also encouraged Christians to support vulnerable members of society, saying anyone could one day face similar hardships.
The bishop, accompanied by priests and district leaders including Sembabule District Chairperson Patrick Nkalubo and the RDC, served inmates a special meal, donated essential items and pledged to provide water-harvesting tanks to all three prisons.
According to Denis Mulinda, the Masaka Diocese coordinator of the prison outreach programme, the initiative began in 2018 to remind inmates of their human dignity.
‘We thank the bishop for appreciating this idea and spearheading it. Since 2019, he has visited nine prisons in Rakai, Masaka, Bukomansimbi, Kalungu, Kalangala and Sembabule, and there is no doubt that the moment he shares with inmates greatly impacts them,’ Mulinda said.
Greater Masaka region, which falls under Masaka Diocese, has 36 prisons. The three facilities visited on Friday house a combined total of 256 inmates.