Luzira Prisons is struggling to cope up with a water crisis after it was disconnected from the national grid supply by National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC).
Luzira was disconnected by NWSC after failing to clear arrears amounting to Shs 5 billion. The bill accumulated from July last year. The crisis is affecting families living in the prisons barracks as well as inmates in Luzira Upper Prison, Murchison Bay and Remand prisons.
A source who had visited the prison for an evangelism mission told URN that inmates are now asking their visitors to carry for them water, stating that most of them have not had a bath since last week.
“They need water for drinking, washing and bathing. However the prisons authority can only allow you to carry water in sealed bottles” she said.
Another visitor to the prisons, Stella Asiimwe who went to visit an inmate stated that when she took soap and other items, the prisoner cried out for water. She says the prisoners mostly complained of lack of water to shower and added that they wanted to strike on Tuesday over the absence of water.
In Kisenyi, a village in the neighbourhood, residents of the prisons barracks and recruits from the Prisons Training School (PTS) queued up as they sought to buy water from a nearby service point.
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A prison officer who is not authorised to speak to the press says the prisoners have refused to work since they complain of too much dirt after heavy work and yet there is no water.
“We cannot take them to the field to work on projects and even garden work. They are also supposed to be working in the different departments like metal works, carpentry among others but they don’t allow” the prison officer says.
URN has learnt that Water tanks supply the three prison facilities for cooking and drinking but this is not adequate. The tanks also supply senior officers in the barracks with water.
Uganda prisons spokesperson Frank Baine said he did not know when supply would be restored since negotiations were still on-going. Sam Apedel, the spokesperson of NWSC says that Uganda Prisons, Uganda Police, Uganda People’s Defense Forces (UPDF) and Mulago hospital will be reconnected in due course following negotiations with the Ministry of Finance.
Uganda Police owes NWSC Shs 6 billion, Mulago hospital owes Shs 5 billion and UPDF Shs 10 billion.
“The ministry of finance called and asked us to extend their credit, and by today evening the water should be on, since they are working on the payment. The problem is sometimes these people divert the payment of water and also the fact that they under budget for the fees” he said.
Apedel also noted that now they will work with government institutions during their budgeting process to allow for proper budgeting. “We want to give them the actual amount they consume, but people should get used to paying for services they consume” he said.