Opposition MPs visit Dr. Besigye at Luzira Prisons

KAMPALA - Leader of Opposition (LOP) Joel Ssenyonyi has held a meeting with former presidential candidate Col. (Rtd) Dr. Kizza Besigye and his aide Hajj Obeid Lutale Kamulegeya. 

Senyonyi revealed that the meeting took place during several legislators' visits to Luzira Maximum Security Prison on Wednesday (April 23).

Besigye and Kamulegeya were arrested in Kenya in November 2024 and later tried before the General Court Martial on charges of subversion, a move the Supreme Court annulled in January 2025.

Despite the ruling, they remain incarcerated as the government prepares to transfer their cases to civilian courts.

Led by Ssenyonyi, the MPs' team included: Members of Parliament from the National Unity Platform (NUP): Frank Kabuye (Kassanda North), Betty Nambooze (Mukono Municipality), Patrick Nsamba (Kassanda South), Gareth Namugga (Mawogola South), Esther Naluyima (Wakiso District Woman MP), and Francis Zaake (Mubende Municipality). 

The aim, according to Ssenyonyi, was to check on several opposition political supporters currently on remand.

He said that Besigye reported to the MPs about the restrictions on inmates, high-profile suspects like himself, whom he said are not allowed to interact freely with visitors.

“He (Besigye) said it is unfair for suspects to be treated like convicts. They can’t freely meet the people they would like to see. They are forced to sit behind glass and communicate via telephone,” Ssenyonyi reported.

“For us, as elected leaders, we insisted on seeing them face-to-face, to understand their condition and hear their concerns. But this privilege does not extend to their families.”

The Opposition leader urged Justice Minister Norbert Mao to take responsibility and ensure a swift and fair judicial process for the detainee.

He also criticised the judiciary for delays in resolving cases, saying many detainees have spent years in custody without trial.

“You have held some of these people for over four years,” he said. “What exactly is being investigated that has taken four years? If you had any evidence, surely four years would be enough to present it in court. These individuals believe they are political prisoners, jailed not for crimes committed, but because of their political beliefs.” Ssenyonyi quipped.

He also described the conditions at the  Luzira Prisons as inhumane and unsustainable. He cited overcrowding and prolonged detentions without trial.

“Prisons across the country are holding more than 79,000 inmates, of whom 37,000 are on remand,” he said. “The holding capacity of all prisons in Uganda is just 22,000.”

Prison authorities speak out

On February 12, 2025, Deputy Commissioner General of Prisons, Samuel Akena, while appearing before the Parliamentary Finance Committee, acknowledged the strain on the prison system.

“We currently have 266 prison units staffed by 13,944 personnel, and are managing a prison population of 79,280 inmates,” Akena said.

“This overwhelming burden is the key driver behind the accumulation of operational arrears.”

He pointed to long-standing funding constraints as the root cause of the crisis.

“Prison operations have been growing at an average rate of 8% annually. However, our budget has remained stagnant for the last seven years. Over that period, the prison population has increased by 50%, but our funding has not matched this growth,” Akena told lawmakers.