The Justice and Constitutional Affairs Minister, Maj Gen Kahinda Otafiire has proposed that Luzira prison be relocated to another location so that government can construct a bigger national prison that will adequately accommodate the rising numbers of criminals in the country.
Minister Otafiire made the proposal while appearing before the Human Rights Committee of Parliament chaired by Mitooma Woman MP, Jovah Kamateeka on Wednesday.
He said that the current Luzira prison was constructed to handle not more than 800 inmates but surprisingly, the prison is now houses over 4,000 prisoners.
Otaffire explained that at the time when the prison was established, the rate of crime was relatively low and not as sophiscated as criminality is now. The Minister said that today, the trend of crime is increasing, largely attributed to the easy access of deadly weapons.
“It would be good, if at all we had money, to construct another national prison elsewhere. Luzira is so close to the city centre and it is nolonger as big as it used to be in those days to accommodate the increasing criminality,” Otaffire argued.
But the Chairperson of the Parliament Human Rights Committee opposed the proposal, instead asking that government improves its system working especially given that some inmates are in jail because their case files are missing.
In a related development, Otafire proposed the relocation of Butabika hospital which he said should be moved to a more quieter place for the convenience of the patients admitted at the facility.
Otafiire said that patients at the mental treatment hospital disrupted by the surroundings including loud music, prayer places and schools.
However, he admitted that in as much as these undertakings are necessary, government is still constrained by resources.
