The Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC) has discovered more than 40 refugee inmates facing defilement charges during inspections of Mbarara Main and Mbarara Women’s prisons as part of its ongoing regional stakeholder engagements.
The Commission team, led by Commissioner Hon. Lamex Omara Apitta on behalf of UHRC Chairperson Hon. Mariam Wangadya, visited the two facilities together with officials from the Mbarara Regional Office. The inmates raised concerns about their cases, with some claiming that they had been falsely accused by parents of girls allegedly seeking asylum opportunities abroad for their children.
The inmates asked the Commission to investigate the circumstances surrounding their arrests and cases. In response, the UHRC team said it would work with other Justice, Law and Order Sector (JLOS) stakeholders to examine the concerns raised and ensure that human rights issues are appropriately addressed.
While addressing the inmates, Hon. Apitta asked whether the prison had a human rights committee bringing together inmates and prison management. He stressed that imprisonment does not take away a person’s humanity, saying the Commission’s responsibility is to ensure that prisoners have access to food, rest, proper clothing and other basic rights while their cases are handled according to the law.
The Mbarara inspection followed an earlier visit to Ndorwa Central Government Prison, where the Commission found an inmate-led initiative aimed at helping prisoners cope with the cold weather. Prisoners have been knitting sweaters, with about 1,700 pieces already completed and awaiting commissioning. The sweaters have not yet become part of the official prison uniform because management is awaiting regulatory changes permitting their use.
The knitting project is also providing inmates with practical skills that can benefit them beyond prison. During the Mbarara visit, Commissioners Hon. Col. Steven Basaliza and Hon. Simeo Nsubuga joined inmates for a meal of posho and beans, which they found tasty, before participating in an ekitagururo dance as they interacted with the prisoners.
Other members of the Commission team included Hon. Shifrah Lukwago, Hon. Crispin Kaheru and Hon. Jacklet Atuhaire Rwabukurukuru. The regional engagements are being spearheaded by the Director of Regional Services, Ms. Sarah Nakhumitsa, and are aimed at strengthening cooperation between the UHRC, JLOS institutions and other human rights defenders while allowing the Commission to directly identify concerns affecting inmates.
Nakhumitsa said the regional engagements give the Commission an opportunity to interact directly with institutions and communities, identify human rights concerns and work with stakeholders to find appropriate solutions. The visits therefore provide a platform for the UHRC to assess prison conditions, listen to inmates’ complaints and follow up on issues affecting their rights and welfare.
