Uganda Human Rights Commission Chair Highlights Severe Prison Overcrowding

The chairperson of the Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC), Ms. Mariam Wangadya, has raised concerns about severe congestion in Ugandan prisons. During a press conference in Kampala, she reported that a recent series of prison visits by the commission revealed extreme overcrowding, with conditions so cramped that prisoners struggle to find enough space to sleep.

Highlighting the scale of the issue, Ms. Wangadya shared her observations from a visit to a male prison in Jinja. “The facility, designed to hold 300 inmates, was housing over 2,600 prisoners at the time of my visit,” she stated. The inmates described the physical challenges of such overcrowding, including the need to stand up just to turn over while trying to rest.

The issue of prison congestion is particularly urgent as Uganda approaches Human Rights Day on December 10. In light of this, Ms. Wangadya called for the expedited processing of court cases to ensure the timely release of innocent individuals. She also advocated for the construction of additional detention facilities to better accommodate the growing inmate population.

Ms. Wangadya pointed out that many of Uganda’s prisons were built during the colonial era, intended for a much smaller population. “Today, with the population having at least tripled since then, and with crime rates correspondingly higher, the existing facilities are woefully inadequate,” she explained.

The situation is further underscored by a recent report from the Government of Uganda-Development Partners on Access to Justice, which noted that the prison population had more than doubled over the past decade, from 35,564 in the fiscal year 2013/2014 to 73,722 in 2022/2023. The report suggests that addressing this crisis will require not only an increase in prison capacity but also a focus on crime prevention and alternative sentencing methods to alleviate the strain on existing facilities.