Minister Lugoloobi to push for better prison conditions

State minister for Planning Amos Lugoloobi has shared that his detention at Kira Division Police headquarters and his remand to Luzira prison were a major highlight of the appalling state of the facilities.
“I think God planned that as minister for Planning, I had to be arrested and subsequently remanded to Luzira prison so that I can witness the bad situation in jail and work towards improving prisoners’ lives,” Mr Lugoloobi said during a thanksgiving ceremony held at his home in Namulanda Village in Kayunga Sub-county, Kayunga District at the weekend.

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“While in Luzira Prison, I had a conversation with some staff in my ministry, who had come to visit me, about the need to improve conditions in prisons. I want to tell you that we have started on this task,” he added. 
This was Mr Lugoloobi’s first public appearance in Kayunga District after court granted him bail on Thursday last week.

Mr Lugoloobi, who is also the Ntenjeru North MP, revealed: “Now that I am aware of the deplorable conditions in prison and in police cells, as a minister for Planning, I am going to engage responsible officials to ensure that the conditions are improved.”
The Minister spent three days at Kira Police Division headquarters and in Luzira prison after his arrest in connection with the mismanagement of iron sheets meant for the Karachunas (youth warriors) in Karamoja Sub-region.
He was last week arraigned before the Anti-Corruption Court presided over by the acting Principal Senior Grade One Magistrate, Mr Ebert Asiimwe. He was charged with two counts of dealing with suspect property contrary to Sections 21A of the Anti-Corruption Act (as amended). He denied the charges.

Human rights activists and a section of Ugandans have previously decried the poor state of prisons in the country and called on the government to intervene. Some of the poor conditions mentioned include poor accommodation, hygiene and feeding.  Prison authorities, however, blame the bad state on underfunding by the government.
The thanksgiving ceremony was attended by Rev Fr Emmanuel Walakira, the Kayunga Catholic Parish priest. Others were Mr Charles Bukenya, the archdeacon of Ndeeba, Mr Moses Karangwa, the Kayunga District NRM chairman, Dr Robert Ssentongo, the director of Kayunga Regional Referral Hospital, and Kayunga Resident District Commissioner Moses Ddumba, among others.
In his lengthy speech punctuated with hymns and dancing, jovial Lugoloobi said he could not talk about the matter of iron sheets because it is before court.
“While in jail, I learnt a lesson that a lot has to be done to improve the conditions in our prisons,” the minister, who appeared at the function without his usual security detail, said.

He was accompanied by his wife, Ms Eve Lugoloobi, children and other family members.
Explaining how he was arrested, Mr Lugoloobi dismissed earlier reports that he was arrested on his way to the airport. He said he was arrested two days after he returned from New York, USA, where he had gone for official duties.
“While I was in New York, I read on social media that they wanted to arrest me over the Karamoja iron sheets. I made a decision to cut short my stay and come back so that things don’t worsen,” he said.
Mr Lugoloobi added: “I returned on Wednesday but while I was in my vehicle on Lumumba Avenue, security personnel surrounded my vehicle. They told me I was under arrest. I asked them where they were taking me and they told me they were taking me to Kira Division police headquarters,” Mr Lugoloobi said.
This publication, however, established that the minister had failed to present himself to police where he had been summoned.
Mr Lugoloobi, who admitted to receiving 300 iron sheets from the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM), said he used them to roof a goats’ shed on his farm in Misanga Village, Kayunga District.

However, he decided to pluck the sheets he called “evil” off the structure after the public condemned the officials for sharing the iron sheets meant for the vulnerable people of Karamoja Sub-region.
Two other ministers, State minister for Karamoja Affairs Agness Nandutu and her senior colleague in the ministry Goretti Kituti, have been charged before the Anti-Corruption Court. Ms Nandutu is on remand in Luzira prison while Kitutu is out on bail. 
During the function, clerics prayed for the minister and his family members.
Mr Lugoloobi also revealed that although he is a strong man, he broke down in tears while in court after several of his constituents sympathised with him.

“I was firm but the love you showed me in court made me cry,” he said, adding: “I am sure God will help me to overcome this matter. I push on with my plan of developing Kayunga.”
He thanked the residents for standing with him during this trying moments and “for not calling me an iron sheets thief as some people have labelled me.”
Mr Karangwa, who hailed Mr Lugoloobi for being development-oriented, cautioned him against being lured by opportunists who are asking him to quit National Resistance Movement (NRM) party.

“I call upon all of you to remain calm and don’t quit NRM,” Mr Karangwa said. 
A section of residents had threatened to quit NRM and to undress in public over what they termed as selective prosecution of their MP.

Rev Bukenya said he was saddened by the minister’s arrest.
However, other residents in the district are asking the minister to resign over his conduct, which they said had brought shame to the district.
“I ask the minister to resign and save his name,” Mr Michael Malinga, the Kitimbwa Sub-county chairman, said. 
But Mr Lugoloobi had, in an earlier interview, vowed not to resign, insisting he is innocent.
Dr Stephen Kazimba Mugalu, the Archbishop of the Church of Uganda, in his Easter message, criticised government officials who shared the iron sheets meant for the people of Karamoja.