Shs 79 Billion Allocated for Prisoner Meals in Next Fiscal Year

Parliament’s Committee on Defence and Internal Affairs has granted approval for the allocation of Sh79 billion in the proposed 2024/2025 budget to fund meals for prisoners. The proposal, championed by Wilson Kajwengye, Nyabushozi County MP and Chairperson of the Defence and Internal Affairs Committee, was forwarded to Parliament’s budget committee.

Kajwengye emphasized the need for adequate funding to ensure each prisoner receives a daily allowance of at least Sh5,000 for meals. The spokesperson of prisons, Frank Baine, revealed this week that Uganda’s prison population has surged to 77,592 individuals, including convicts, remandees, and debtors.

According to Kajwengye, delayed justice dispensation and increased crime rates have contributed to the growing number of prisoners. The approved capacity of Uganda Prisons is 20,996, resulting in an occupancy rate of 368.2%, with 56,320 prisoners exceeding the authorized capacity.

Despite the pressing need for funding, some MPs raised concerns about the proposed Sh79 billion budget. They questioned the Uganda Prisons Services (UPS) for not effectively utilizing vast farms allocated to them to cultivate food crops for prisoner sustenance.

Martin Ojara Mapenduzi, Bardege-Layibi MP, pointed out that the UPS received 19,200 acres of land on Aswa Ranch in 2022 and highlighted the importance of transparency regarding the utilization of this land and the associated funding. Additionally, Mapenduzi noted that out of the 45,000 acres at Lugore Prison farm in Gulu district, only 5,000 acres are currently in use.

MPs suggested that maximizing the productivity of these allocated lands could significantly reduce the proposed Sh79 billion budget for prisoner meals, potentially cutting it in half.