On Tuesday, the UHRC Members of the Commission team together with Mbarara Regional Office team proceeded to Mbarara where they inspected two prisons, Uganda Government Prison Mbarara Main and Uganda Government Prison Mbarara Women, as part of the Commission’s ongoing regional stakeholder engagements.During the inspection, the team discovered more than 40 refugee inmates who are facing defilement charges. The inmates told the Commission that some of them had been falsely accused by parents of girls who allegedly wanted to obtain asylum for their children abroad.
The inmates raised concerns about the circumstances surrounding their cases and asked the Commission to look into their complaints. The UHRC team pledged to work with other stakeholders within the Justice, Law and Order Sector (JLOS) to address the concerns raised by the inmates.In his address to the inmates, Hon. Apitta inquired whether the prison has a human rights committee representing both the inmates and the prison management, stressing that prisoners remain human beings whose rights must be respected.“Human rights committees are important because they remind us that we are human beings. Our role is to ensure that your human rights are not violated, that you have food, that you rest and that you are properly dressed. We shall also reach the kitchen to see the food you are given. When you are in prison, you remain with your world. When you make a mistake, it is subject to the law and the court has to decide. The law against you is the law against all of us. We are part of your family, and that is why we have come to visit you,” Hon. Apitta said.The inspection in Mbarara followed an earlier visit to Ndorwa Central Government Prison, where the Commission discovered an initiative by prison management to help inmates cope with cold weather conditions.The prison management has introduced the knitting of sweaters by inmates, with about 1,700 pieces already completed and ready for commissioning.
However, the sweaters have not yet been introduced as part of the official prison uniform because management is waiting for a change in regulations to allow inmates to wear them.The initiative not only seeks to protect inmates from cold weather but also gives prisoners an opportunity to acquire practical skills while serving their sentences.The Commission’s engagement was led by Commissioner Hon. Lamex Omara Apitta on behalf of the UHRC Chairperson, Hon. Mariam Wangadya. He was supported by Commissioners Hon. Shifrah Lukwago, Hon. Crispin Kaheru, Hon. Simeo Muwanga Nsubuga, Hon. Steven Basaliza and Hon. Jacklet Atuhaire Rwabukurukuru.During the Mbarara visit, Hon. Col. Steven Basaliza and Hon. Simeo Nsubuga also joined inmates in having prison food, including posho and beans, which they found tasty.
The Commission members later joined the inmates in ekitagururo dance as a way of appreciating their entertainment and hospitality.The visits are part of the ongoing series of regional stakeholder engagements aimed at strengthening UHRC’s partnership with regional JLOS institutions and other human rights defenders, while also allowing the Commission to directly interact with inmates and identify human rights concerns within prisons.The Director of Regional Services, Ms. Sarah Nakhumitsa, who is spearheading the regional visits, stated, “These regional engagements are important because they enable the Commission to directly interact with institutions and communities, identify human rights concerns and work together with stakeholders to find appropriate solutions.”
