Congestion at Hoima prison remains a challenge despite increased community service efforts

In spite of the numerous mechanisms of handling criminality in the Bunyoro sub-region, Hoima prison continues to encounter new criminal cases. This has fuelled congestion in the prison wards.

Speaking during the stakeholders’ engagement aimed at enhancing community services, Justice Opyene Vicent, Hoima High Court Resident Judge, noted an increase in criminality.

He disclosed that currently they have about 400 prisoners accommodated in a space meant for 300 individuals.

Opyene, however, attributed increasing criminality to a lack of extensive social circle support to communities, a service which he says is crucial in addressing critical issues.

“Some people engage in offences due to a lack of social circle support to address their issues,” he said.

He also called for the need to have extended community services as far as encouraging environmental conservation by letting communities know the importance of tree planting.

“As we look forward to enhancing these community services, let’s not only focus on talks but also look at environmental aspects. Within this, we encouraged them to plant trees,” he urged.

tndNews, Uganda learns that such a situation can lead to different issues including health and sanitation crises, human rights and legal challenges if not managed.

George Kunihira, the Chief Magistrate at Hoima High Court said they have always taken different alternatives including community sensitisation on radios, stakeholder training, and re-arrest of offenders in order to curb the rate of criminality.

He said that Hoima High Court works with two sister Magistrate Courts of Kyangwali in Kikuube district and Buseruka in Hoima district. He said both courts lack State Attorneys to handle criminal cases, thus leading to an increase in prisoners at Hoima prison.

Kunihira noted the lack of community service officers, revealing that they have only one, and police failing to fill PF103 forms on files sent to court still remains a significant challenge. He revealed that Hoima High Court handles civil cases only.

Kunihira has penned a report from July 1, 2025, to April 2026 on issuing and managing community service orders, improving capacity building, enhancing compliance, monitoring and social reintegration and rehabilitation of offenders were some of the mechanisms they had to reduce criminalities.

Badru Mugabi, the Hoima Resident City Commissioner (RCC) noted Hoima City still grapples with a couple of criminal cases, citing ghetto areas with more law offenders.

He called for the recruitment of support staff to enhance community service delivery.

“Within the lower government systems, there are CDOs, Vice LC1, LC3 chairpersons, Assistant RDCs, RCCs who can equally help in delivering some of those community services in ensuring criminal return files are filled on time right away from the communities,” he said.

While responding to the gaps within the police, Mugabi said that they have always put the police on the front line in the fight against crime.

Justice Tadeo Asiimwe, the chairman of the National Community Service Committee (NCSC) commended Hoima High Court for the job well done as they fight against crime rates in the region.

Asiimwe advised the Hoima High Court learned fellows to always be assertive in handling criminal cases without gambling but also advised on reconsidering court trials of the law offenders before they are discharged.

“When handling some cases, always be direct-for example criminal cases, they are ever tricky but you do not need to gamble around them. And that will help reduce case recycling,” he said.

Tadeo emphasised that these offenders are tried again before they are discharged from prison and called for combined efforts in handling criminal cases.

Titus Byaruhanga, the Assistant Regional Police Commander (ARPC) for Albertine Region says police are always committed to rendering community services including through community sensitisation and meetings.

Sylvia Nalumaga, deputy mayor of Hoima City noted that such an engagement will help in reducing criminal cases due to population increase and an increase in street kids as a result of poor parenting.

Nalumaga, however, pledged continued commitment to working together to enhance community sensitisation.