Uganda Prison Services clarifies on allegations of inhuman conditions at Luzira Upper Maximum-Security Prison

Uganda Prisons Services (UPS) has dismissed allegations made by some opposition and the family of Rtd. Col. Dr. Kiiza Besigye regarding his treatment at Luzira Upper Maximum-Security Prison.

In a statement issued on Friday, signed by the Senior Commissioner of Prisons, Mr. Frank Baine Mayanja, described the claims made by some opposition leaders and Besigye’s family as false and baseless.

“The claim that the facility is infested with bed bugs used as a torture tool against him is grossly false. Also, the assertion that he shares a ward with 15 others and yet is in permanent isolation is contradictory,” said Frank Baine Mayanja, the UPS spokesperson and Senior Commissioner of Prisons.

He urged the public to disregard the misinformation and disinformation because the allegations lack consistency and a factual basis.

Frank added that “UPS reaffirms its position as a professional government agency mandated to manage prisoners in accordance with the laws of the Republic of Uganda and Nelson Mandela Rules.”

This clarification follows Hon. Winnie Byanyima, wife to Dr. Besigye concern she expressed concerning the denial of basic rights and poor prison conditions.

She said that Besigye is being held in a filthy environment, infested with bedbugs, and that he had resorted to a hunger strike to protest his treatment.

“Besigye told me that he sleeps in a terrible situation with bedbugs feeding on him,” she said.

She confirmed that Besigye had recently undertaken a hunger strike, but his lawyers advised him to suspend it due to the health risks involved.

“Besigye did not steal, did not kill anyone, did not engage in any corruption crime, but his continued detention is politically motivated,” she said, adding that the entire process surrounding his arrest and incarceration has been unlawful and politically driven.

She passionately appealed to President Museveni to show compassion, emphasizing that Besigye is an elderly man who should not be subjected to such harsh conditions.

“We ask the president to have mercy on him because he’s a very aged man to live in such a condition,” she urged, calling for national dialogue.

Despite ongoing efforts by his legal team, family, and friends to secure his release, the Ugandan state has remained silent regarding the reasons for his continued incarceration.