Byabashaija Defends Medical Care for Besigye, Lukwago as MPs Raise Concerns

What the report says

Uganda Prisons Commissioner General Dr Johnson Byabashaija has defended how the prison system handles inmates who need specialised healthcare, telling MPs that remand prisoners can see their personal doctors when prison medical officers judge it necessary. He made the remarks on Thursday before Parliament’s Committee on Defence and Internal Affairs, chaired by Gomba West MP Robina Rwakoojo, after lawmakers raised questions about the treatment of high-profile detainees including opposition figure Dr Kizza Besigye and former Kampala Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago.

According to Nile Post, Kampala Woman MP Shamim Malende and Kalungu West MP Joseph Ssewungu asked whether inmates with existing medical conditions continue getting proper care after remand, especially when they had previously been under private treatment or had hospital reports suggesting serious illness. Byabashaija said prisoners on remand are not limited to prison clinics and may be referred to their own doctors or to facilities such as Mulago National Referral Hospital when prison medical staff consider that appropriate.

He also used the appearance to highlight broader pressures on the prison system. He said congestion remains a major challenge, driven by delays in court processes, and noted that some inmates have stayed on remand for as long as 12 years. He called for wider justice-sector reforms and more use of non-custodial sentences. In addition, he said prisons are handling more inmates with mental illness and rely on support from Butabika National Referral Mental Hospital, while plans to relocate Luzira Maximum Security Prison are still at an early stage because no investor has been secured.