Officials of the Uganda Prison Services want government to construct a minimum of three prisons every year if they are to address the current problem of congestion countrywide.

Currently the main Prison Luzira that was constructed by the colonial government in the 1950’s is meant to accommodate a total of 6000 prisoners only however, the number has currently more than doubled, according to the Uganda Prisons Commissioner General Johnson Byabashaija.

Commissioner of Prisons, Johnson Byabashaija

Byabashaija who was recently responding to questions from journalists also said the conditions in Ugandan prisons is among the worst in the entire Africa where many inmates cannot even sleep at night due to overcrowding especially in the cells.

He called for immediate funding or else they are to register death if the matter is not addressed.

Byabashaija also blamed police and the judiciary for the congestion in prison saying they are slow at investigating cases which keeps the number of inmates continuing to accumulate while they are on remand.