KAMPALA – Uganda Prisons Service (UPS) spokesperson Frank Baine has confirmed that no fees are charged for visiting prisoners across the country. This assurance was given in response to recent media reports suggesting that prisons were imposing a visit fee of shillings 50,000.
Speaking to journalists at the Police headquarters in Naguru, Nakawa division, Kampala, Baine clarified that visitors, including relatives and close friends of both remand and convicted prisoners, are not required to pay any charges for visits. He emphasized that visitors must provide evidence of any items brought for the prisoners, which are documented with receipts.
Baine’s statement aimed to address misinformation and concerns regarding visiting fees. He made it clear that the prisons service does not levy any such charges and refuted the claims circulating in the media on July 29, 2024.
In addition to clarifying the issue of visit fees, Baine warned about a scam targeting job seekers. He explained that scammers have been exploiting the recent army recruitment process by contacting those who missed out and falsely promising positions in the prisons service for a fee of shillings 200,000. Baine cautioned that some individuals have already fallen victim to this scam.
The UPS spokesperson stressed that the prison service is not currently hiring. Any future recruitment will be conducted through official channels and established criteria, not through informal or deceptive means.
As of the latest update, Uganda’s prison population totals 79,114 individuals. This figure includes 37,277 remand prisoners, 41,283 convicted individuals, and 554 debtors, distributed across 269 prisons in 19 regions. Additionally, there are currently 273 babies residing with their mothers in prison.
