By Our Reporter
NATIONAL
The Commissioner General, Uganda Prison Service has put the Service on Standby Class One Alert effective Monday 12th December, 2022 running till the 5th February 2023 effectively meaning relatives can’t visit inmates till expiry of the Alert.
The Standby Class One Alert by the Prisons Service was communicated in a press release dated 16th December, 2022 and signed off by CP Frank Mayanja Baine, the Prisons Service Spokesperson.
Standby Class One Alert among other things means, “Prisoner’s visitations are suspended,” although prisoner’s items can be delivered at the gate and Advocates will still be permitted to access them.
Other Standby Class One Alert instructions include suspension of annual leave for all staff members, restriction of entry into Prisons by unauthorized persons, and suspension of hired Prisoners’ labour popularly known as Kibarua.
Officers have also been instructed to strengthen and enhance Prison security, intelligence and coordinate with other security agencies. Part of this includes carrying out regular patrols in and around prisons.
The instructions have also suspended all End of Year staff parties in all prisons across the country.
The instructions are supposed to be followed strictly. “Any officer in charge who breaches these instructions shall be personally held responsible,” Baine warns in the communication.
