The Uganda Prisons Service has acknowledged the existence of special holding rooms for high-profile inmates and announced plans to build additional facilities to accommodate such cases.
Prisons Commissioner General Dr Johnson Byabashaija said his two decades in charge have shown that even top-ranking government officials are not immune to imprisonment, citing past instances where a Vice President, cabinet ministers, and senior leaders have been held in custody.
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Speaking at a national dialogue on mental health and justice in Kampala, organised by Penal Reform International, Dr Byabashaija said: “We need to construct more self-contained rooms for such prisoners—and for myself, just in case. Our facilities are not pretty, so we must make them more habitable.”
He pointed to the 36 single self-contained rooms at Kitalya Prison as an example and revealed that similar facilities are being planned in Mbarara.
Dr Byabashaija recalled seeing “bosses become clients” and “clients become bosses,” noting that one former inmate was later appointed Minister of Internal Affairs. “We must ensure these facilities are humane,” he added.
In 2011, former Vice President Gilbert Bukenya was remanded to Luzira Prison after his bail was cancelled over corruption allegations linked to the procurement of vehicles for the 2007 Commonwealth summit. The charges were later dismissed for lack of evidence.
Other senior officials who have served time include former health ministers Mike Mukula, Gen Jim Muhwezi (now Security Minister), Mary Goretti Kitutu, Agnes Nandutu, Alice Kabwoyo, Amos Lugoloobi, and Herbert Kabafunzaki.
This is the first time prison authorities have publicly admitted to providing preferential accommodation for prominent inmates, despite years of insisting that all prisoners are treated equally. Under Ugandan law, only a sitting president has immunity from prosecution and detention.
Alongside infrastructure issues, Dr Byabashaija raised concerns about the growing burden of mental illness in prisons. He said 247 inmates are currently admitted to the system’s only psychiatric ward, while 81 prison staff also face mental health challenges.
Doreen N. Kyazze, Regional Director of Penal Reform International, said the COVID-19 pandemic had worsened mental health conditions within the justice system. She highlighted the lack of forensic psychologists and social workers to help divert mentally ill individuals from prison.
Uganda has 269 prisons holding more than 78,000 inmates, but only one psychiatric facility nationwide. Currently, 12 prisoners with diagnosed mental illness are awaiting ministerial approval for release.
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