Visiting Uganda Prisons official keen on bio-gas project

HUYE–A delegation from the Uganda Prisons Services, Tuesday, visited Butare Prison in Huye district where they toured various development projects and keen interest in the use of biogas in prisons. The 10-member team visited rice and banana farming, livestock projects including other vocational activities such as carpentry and biogas production among other activities at the prison. Speaking to The New Times shortly after the tour, James Mwanje, the Deputy Commissioner General of Uganda Prisons Services noted that they were “impressed” by what they saw. According to the visiting official, the tour helped them acquire valuable experience on what they can introduce in their prisons in Uganda. “We are particularly interested in cooking prisoners’ food using biogas generated by the prisoners’ waste; this is a very good innovation. We have seen that we can use local materials to build our prisons using the model we have learnt in Rwanda.” He commended the Rwanda Correctional Services (RCS) for “better management of scarce resources they get.” “We have seen so many projects which do not need a lot of money to start up. Prisoners here are also learning meaning that after their custodial sentences they will be very useful to the community,” he observed. Mwanje commended discipline among inmates, noting that it was a success that the RCS has managed to achieve. The Ugandan delegation is in the country on a one-week study tour. At the beginning of their tour in the country Monday, Mwanje said that they came to learn best prison management practices, from their Rwandan counterparts. The delegation is expected to visit various prisons in the country. On Tuesday, they toured Muhanga, Mpanga and Butare prison in the southern province namely. According to Emmanuel Rukundo, the RCS Commissioner in charge of cooperation, the group came to Rwanda in line with the East African Community (EAC) framework of information sharing among prison institutions. “They learn from us but we also share best practices from their prisons. This is very important in improving the services we offer as members of the EAC”, Rukundo said. jean.pierre.bucyensenge@newtimes.rw

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Visiting Uganda Prisons official keen on bio-gas project