Over 300 Fort Portal inmates not tried

The Chief Justice, Benjamin Odoki, blamed the delay on lack of judges and magistrates to clear the backlog.

Some 335 people on remand in Fort Portal Prison have not been tried, despite their committal to the High Court, Prison authorities have said.

According to the memorandum presented by prison officials during an assessment exercise of the Justice Law and Order Sector in western region, the facility that was constructed for 293 inmates now accommodates 880.

Mr Julius Oraije, the officer in-charge of the prison, said the facility also accommodates 227 convicts, 137 petty offenders on remand and 141 pending committal, while nine convicts are awaiting an order from the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs to be released.

Mr Allan Okello, the western region prisons commander, appealed to JLOS to uplift the prison to a maximum security prison with rehabilitation programmes because it accommodates prisoners sentenced up to 15 years in jail.

Chief Justice Benjamin Odoki attributed the delays to lack of judges and magistrates to handle the cases but pledged to assign a second judge to assist the resident judge, Mike Chibita, in clearing the case backlog.

The suspects on remand include 132 on defilement, murder (109), robbery (62), rape (31) and a single case of kidnap.

ekasozi@ug.nationmedia.com