The Commissioner General of Prisons Can. Dr. Johnson Byabashaija has commissioned a new twin prisoners’ ward at Amita Prison Farm in Abim District, with capacity of more than 200 inmates, as the Uganda Prisons Service moves to ease congestion and improve conditions of offenders.
The Commissioner General also opened a new female section with capacity for 50 inmates, addressing a long-standing challenge of transporting female prisoners over long distances to access courts and appropriate accommodation.
The new facilities have adequate ventilation and lighting, separate sanitary facilities, improved security systems and spacious accommodation in line with the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners, also known as the Nelson Mandela Rules.
Each of the new wards has an attached medical wing to improve access to healthcare for inmates.
The facilities are expected to reduce congestion at Amita by about 50 per cent and ease pressure on other prisons serving the Karamoja Sub-region.
The developments follow a 2023 Presidential directive to the Uganda Prisons Service to construct additional prisoners’ accommodation and staff housing.
UPS subsequently established an Engineering Gang comprising skilled prison staff and inmates to undertake construction and related works.
At Amita, the Engineering Gang completed 64 staff housing units in 2024, improving accommodation and welfare for prison staff working at the facility.
The construction programme has also expanded to other parts of the country. This year, new prison accommodation and staff housing facilities have been commissioned at Isingiro and Isimba, while major projects at Ruimi Prison Farm are nearing completion.
The Engineering Gang has become an important part of the Service’s infrastructure programme, while also giving inmates practical construction skills that can support their rehabilitation and reintegration.
Amita Prison Farm is also contributing to national agricultural production despite the difficult operating environment in Karamoja.
The farm produces about 185,000kgs of cotton annually from 530 acres and is targeting 280,000 kgs of sunflower from 700 acres. Soybeans and maize seed are also grown as part of rotational farming and food security interventions.
The agricultural activities provide inmates with practical skills while supporting production at the institution.
Karamoja has eight prison stations and presents unique operational challenges, including a harsh climate, difficult terrain and food insecurity. The developments at Amita are part of efforts to improve correctional services while making productive use of available land and resources.
The new facilities bring additional capacity to Amita and strengthen the Service’s efforts to provide safe, secure and humane custody while improving staff welfare and supporting rehabilitation.
