KAMPALA – Uganda Prisons has offered a bounty of fifteen million shillings (Shs 1,5000,000/=) for each gun recovered and five hundred thousand shillings (Shs 500,000/=) for every escaped prisoner recaptured.
This was revealed by the Commissioner General of Prisons, Dr Johnson Byabashaija who had visited Uganda Government Prison Moroto on an inspection tour of the facility following the escape of 223 prisoners last week.
He held closed-door meetings with the station management, UPDF and Police before addressing staff at the station.
“I want to inform the escapees that it is a matter of time, we’re going to get them. Those who escaped in Arua, we got them, those who escaped in Bukwo we got them back. These ones we shall get them. In Uganda, you cannot get lost. Even if you go to the neighboring country by our collaboration we shall bring back, every day we’re picking one by one,” said Byabashaija.
The Commissioner-General noted there were some errors inside the prison that caused mass escape. He revealed that 16 inmates have been recaptured and 7 put out of action – giving a total of 23 inmates so far accounted for. The station has been reinforced with specialized team from the Safety and Security unit.
“We had some errors inside the prison and our gatekeeper was not adequately protected a structural deficiency. I have instructed my Assistant Commissioner in charge of security to deal with it very quickly. We must protect the gatekeeper with a cage such that prisoners don’t get access to him. I have directed him to place central boxes or what we call watchtowers. If we had watchtowers here, of course, we wouldn’t have had that problem – you shoot directly at the prisons from the watchtowers and we’re going to make a double fence”.
Byabashaija was accompanied by the Director Correctional Services, Samuel Akena, Commissioner Corporate Affairs, Frank Baine, Assistant Commissioner Political Commiserate, Kamugisha Moses, Assistant Commissioner Safety, and Security Operations, Simon Wansadha, Assistant Commissioner Prisoners Administration, Kivumbi Jacob.
His visit comes days after a team from the Prison headquarters camped in Moroto to investigate the prison break.
No gun has been recovered yet and according to the Prisons spokesman, Frank Baine, some of the prisoners have crossed to neighboring Kenya.
