RUBIRIZI – The Rubirizi Grade One Chief Magistrate, His Worship Nzwebe Philip, has called upon the government to construct standard prison facilities in the district to address the escalating problem of prison overcrowding.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!The Magistrate made the appeal during a dialogue convened by the Foundation for Human Rights Initiatives (FHRI) under the Advancing Justice project to tackle systemic challenges fuelling prison overcrowding and protracted case delays.
Nzwebe revealed that authorities are often forced to release detainees to decongest overcrowded facilities, a practice that has inadvertently fueled crime and community violence while steadily eroding public confidence in the judiciary’s effectiveness.
The magistrate also decried political interference and RDC involvement in judicial processes, which he said disrupt court operations and worsen congestion. He called on all stakeholders to uphold their mandates and ensure unimpeded access to justice.
“We are often forced to release detainees to decongest overcrowded facilities, yet this practice has inadvertently fueled crime and community violence and eroded public confidence in the judiciary. Also, political interference and involvement of RDCs in judicial processes disrupt court operations and worsen congestion,” Nzwebe revealed.
He commended FHRI for organising the Criminal Justice Forum, describing it as a vital platform for strengthening coordination, clarifying roles, and enhancing understanding of prisoners’ rights among justice actors.
Senior Superintendent of Prisons Evans Rock Abio painted an equally grim picture, citing limited prison infrastructure and slow court justice as primary drivers of overcrowding in greater Bushenyi.
He revealed that remand prisoners now outnumber convicts, with cases dragging on for so long that inmates languish for extended periods without trial, while congestion is so severe in facilities like Nyamisekyera that prisoners are forced to sleep in shifts.
“Limited prison infrastructure and slow justice are driving overcrowding in greater Bushenyi. Remand prisoners now outnumber convicts, many languishing long without trial, and facilities like Nyamisekyera are so congested that inmates sleep in shifts,” Evans revealed.
Evans further noted that most detainees lack access to effective legal aid, and upon release, many are rejected by their communities, a cycle that pushes them back into crime and ultimately returns them to already bursting prisons.
Sheema Deputy RDC Sam Orinkunda and Bushenyi Deputy RDC Kasigazi William raised serious concerns over police delays in forwarding files to court, a bottleneck that has hampered service delivery and worsened prison congestion.
They noted that prolonged police file handling forces suspects to spend extended periods on remand, directly contributing to overcrowding in correctional facilities across the region.
The officials urged security agencies to intensify community sensitisation on the consequences of crime, aiming to reduce the volume of cases entering the prison system.
They also called upon local leaders and government to establish remand and rehabilitation centres for young offenders, emphasizing collaborative, child-friendly approaches that offer genuine reform opportunities for juveniles in conflict with the law.
The dialogue meeting has shone a spotlight on a justice system struggling under the weight of inadequate infrastructure, procedural delays, and systemic challenges.
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