The heavily guarded Luzira prison in the capital Kampala has more than 8,000 both male and female inmates, as well as 2,600 employees.
On August 13, 2024, National Water and Sewerage Corporation disconnected the water services to Luzira prison due to outstanding water bills, says Frank Baine, spokesperson for the Ugandan prison service, and simultaneously urges the inmates and staff to remain calm.
The prison is said to have unpaid water bills of approximately 4.8 million dollars, equivalent to 49 million Swedish kronor, and is now forced to rely on trailer-mounted water tanks.
Opposition politician Francis Zaake calls the situation a national embarrassment.
How can the water be disconnected in Luzira prison? Does the government take responsibility for the country's affairs? he says to AFP.
The dilapidated complex was built by the British in the 1920s and it is not the first time the prison has been without water due to unpaid bills.
