Prison Overcrowding Crisis in Uganda as Occupancy Rate Hits 345%
Uganda’s prison system is grappling with severe overcrowding, with facilities holding more than three times their intended capacity, officials have disclosed.
Appearing before Parliament, Samuel Akena, the Deputy Commissioner General of Uganda Prison Services, revealed that as of March 30, 2026, the country’s prisons were housing 80,110 inmates. This population comprises 42,340 convicted individuals and 37,074 remanded suspects awaiting trial.
Mr. Akena explained that the system’s official holding capacity stands at just 23,104. This discrepancy has resulted in an occupancy rate of 345%.
“Now, as always, these 80,100 prisoners, we have only a holding capacity of 23,104. In other words, the 56,916 really should not have been there in terms of space, but there is nothing we can do about it, they are there,” Akena told lawmakers.
He illustrated the dire conditions, noting that for every single designed prison space, roughly four individuals are currently being housed.
“In other words, therefore, for every one single space, we should have, it is being occupied by four people because 365, that is almost 400%. Now, this is the biggest challenge we have and it is the biggest cost driver for our budget and all that we do because of this over congestion,” he added.
The Deputy Commissioner General identified the overcrowding as the primary strain on the service’s budget and operational capacity.
(Photo by @UgandaPrisons)
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