UGANDA: Why Luzira maximum security prison convicts end up in city bars, markets, restaurants, lodges

WHY LUZIRA MAXIMUM SECURITY PRISON CONVICTS END UP IN CITY BARS, MARKETS, RESTAURANTS AND LODGES

CHANGE OF GUARDS - Two days ago om May 26, Bukedde ran an article detailing how convicts from the country's topmost maximum security prison end up in the city un-escorted for different private errands. The damming article backed by concrete evidence detailing how convicts donning the yellow prison uniform are always vending farm products like maize flour, beans, milk, Irish potatoes, handcrafts among other items in the city (see photos).

The routine involves convicts frequenting city suburbs like Namuwongo, Kisugu and Bukasa after trecking the three km route following the railway line. Carrying the said products, the convicts pass through two police posts without any hindrance. Once in those areas, the convicts openly mingle with residents to whom they sell the said items. For refreshments, they end up in restaurants and bars. A certain lodge in Yoka Zone of Namuwongo is said to be the popular prostitutes hub that serves the convicts. In the evening they are seen walking back or sometimes hiring Bodabodas to take them back to prison.

They are so much established in the said areas that they even have customers who they give their telephone contacts for orders. "......if I don't answer your call just give your order by SMS via WhatsApp", so they tell their regular customers. When Bukedde sought comments from the Prison Service Spokesperson, he was overwhelmed by evidence and simply confirmed that indeed convicts frequent these places. However, he said that such convicts belong to the category of those who are nearing completion of their sentences.

The development is a clear manifestation of Museveni's 'expertise' in security management through professionalization of the security forces. Security at Luzira prison is reinforced by the army's Military Police and other covert security operatives from other agencies. No wonder, in the recent Stanbic Bank robbery, the suspect was an operative of ISO whom the SFC claimed had earlier been convicted for armed robbery and was supposed to be serving a sentence in Luzira.

This website has repeatedly highlighted the ugly situation in the management of the Prison Services. Here below, may you please find some of the highlights:

On 13th July 2017, we wrote an article titled; LOOMING CATASTROPHE AS MUSEVENI MOVES TO ‘PROFESSIONALIZE’ THE PRISON SERVICES

In his new scheme to tighten his grip on power, Museveni has been carrying out schemes to to personalize the security forces. According to him, Uganda's security forces includes the Army, the police, the prison services and the Game Rangers. He started with the army by creating an officer corps that is loyal to his son Gen. Muhoozi who commands his elite SFG that is an army within an army. Its sole objective is to ensure his stay in power. Next was the police force whereby he deployed army officers to take over command and control as he militarised the entire police force while getting rid of the people from the northern region who as had been the case with the army had dominated the force. With the top leadership of the police now in the hands of his people from the western region, the force is now the coercive branch of his regime. Its main objective is to instill fear into the population by brutally silencing any form of training of training political dissent.
Next was the wildlife services whereby he deployed military officers were deployed to the sector as game rangers received training in military academies. As a consequence, the carnage against wildlife - flora and fauna is alarming.

Well placed army officers are the leading traffickers and illegal dealers in prohibited wildlife trophies like ivory. Over one ton of ivory was the other day stolen from the government strong room by Col. Charles Tusiime but nothing could be done to him just because he is from Museveni's home and one of the 27 men who started the war. He was posted to the sector in charge of security and intelligence.

After realising that the prison services play a vital role in his schemes of suppressing political dissent throughout arbitrary detentions and imprisonments, Museveni is hatching a scheme to 'professionalize' Prisons too. However, as had been the army and the police , the prison services are still dominated by personnel from the so called northern region which covers eastern and West Nile regions. 

During the last sham and violent general elections, thousands of prison warders were part of the terror machine that was unleashed on the population. They were also part of the joint security strategies for the so called election security. Therefore,  once Museveni succeeds in making Prisons a branch of the regime, then it will be total chaos. 

Members of the security forces and intelligence services and top regime cadres will have signed detention warrants ready to arrest and send to prison anyone they feel like imprisoning without going through courts of law. They will have powers of getting anyone prone at any time of the day or night for torture, and forced disappearances. They will have powers to shoot and kill any prisoner under the guise of preventing an escape.

Suspected criminals will be able to bribe their way out of prison through mysterious frequent escapes and jail breaks in connivance with 'professional' prison warders. In some cases, prisoners with good political and financial connections will be able to be escorted out of prison by warders so that they spend nights and weekends at their homes. 

Convicted prisoners will not serve their full period of imprisonment but will instead bribe their way out after a short period. Prisoners on remand will be able to influence investigations of their cases through bribery, threatening of witnesses and trial judges, and destruction of evidence with the connivance of 'professional prison warders.

Above all, Museveni is planning to build more prison facilities in remote areas of the country including islands where he can hold political dissenters with less access to their friends, relatives and human rights organisations. Museveni has the parliament, he has the top echelons of the Judiciary, he has the army, he has the DPP, he has the Police and intelligence services; will he fail to tame the prison services into being part of the coercive arm of his brutal regime? 

Soon, the prison services will be hit by nepotism, abuse of office, brutality, inefficiency, corruption, Katebe, in-fighting and all sorts of evils that have characterised the other security forces and it will be disastrous. Members of the Prison Services were incorporated into the operation to rescue Ugandans from South Sudan!!!!!!

INFORMATION IS POWER
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In August 2017 we highlighted an incident where an inmate at Kitgum Prison, Babylon Anywar was sighted riding a police motorcycle Reg. No. UP 4032 belonging to Kitgum Central Police Station. Shortly after, the same inmate was sighted attending an opposition FDC public rally in Kitgum town (see photo). The Prisons Service chief simply tweeted;

Johnson Byabashaija
@jbyabs
Oooooooh, the omission was not to carry a Prison Askari. Point noted for further action.
9 4:25 PM - Aug 27, 2017
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On 22nd January 2017 we wrote another article titled; WHO WILL STOP THIS CARNAGE IN UGANDA PRISONS? We highlighted the growing trend of prisoners dying in road accidents in different parts of the country while being transported in private cars to work on private farms for hire. The carnage continues unchecked (see photo).
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Therefore, the frequenting of city suburbs by prisoners shouldn't be a big deal under the Museveni regime. Next time we shall hear that Prisoners have robbed a bank in the city centre or that body organs of prisoners are being traded for cash. For witnesses and victims of crime, the worst nightmare would be for a convict to show up at hour doorstep seeking revenge.

Watch the space.

INFORMATION IS POWER AND THE PROBLEM OF UGANDA IS MUSEVENISM