The Uganda Prisons Service (UPS) has announced a temporary suspension of prison visitations for three days starting January 14 to January 16, 2026, citing security and operational considerations as the country heads deeper into the election period.
The announcement was made in a Monday press briefing dated January 5, 2026, signed by the Senior Commissioner of Prisons for Cooperation and Corporate Affairs, Frank Baine Mayanja.
According to the statement, UPS is currently holding a total of 78,510 inmates across the country. This includes 42,233 convicted prisoners, 35,694 remand prisoners, and 583 debtors. The prison system is also accommodating 277 children living with their incarcerated mothers, spread across 269 prison units in 19 regions nationwide.
UPS further revealed that the total staff strength stands at 14,879 officers.
Baine noted that while prison visitations will generally continue as normal, they will be temporarily halted from January 14 to 16, after which they are expected to resume. He also confirmed that Standby Class One for prisons staff will remain in force until February 15, 2026, as a precautionary security measure during the election season.
In the same briefing, the Commissioner General of Prisons congratulated UPS staff and sister security agencies for ensuring a peaceful festive season, highlighting that there were no jail breaks, incidents of violence, or external attacks recorded during the holidays.
The Prisons Service also took the opportunity to warn politicians against what it termed deliberate misinformation and disinformation about prison operations for political gain. UPS stressed that staff discipline is governed by clear laws, including the Prisons Act 2006, the Public Service Standing Orders, and Uganda Prisons Service Standing Orders.
