The Uganda Prisons Service has maintained Standby Class One operational status until February 15 2026 as part of heightened security measures during the peak of the election period.
Addressing the media during the UPS Monday press briefing, Senior Commissioner of Prisons and Service Spokesperson Frank Baine Mayanja clarified that the Class One directive places the Service on maximum operational alert, but does not amount to a suspension of normal prison operations.
“Standby Class One simply ensures full readiness, discipline and rapid response capability across all prison units. Routine operations will continue under heightened security,” Baine said.
He explained that under the directive, officers remain fully deployed, leave is restricted and supervision intensified, while essential services within prisons continue uninterrupted.
However, Baine announced that prisoner visitations will be temporarily suspended from January 13 to January 26 2026 for operational and security reasons, after which they will resume normally, even as Class One remains in force until mid-February.
The Commissioner General of Prisons commended prisons staff and sister security agencies for ensuring a peaceful festive season, noting that no jailbreaks, violent incidents or external attacks were recorded countrywide.
He urged officers to maintain the same level of vigilance and professionalism as the election period intensifies.
On staff discipline, the Uganda Prisons Service warned against what it described as deliberate misinformation by some politicians, stressing that disciplinary matters are clearly governed by the Public Service Standing Orders, the Prisons Act 2006 and the Uganda Prisons Service Standing Orders, with Orderly Room proceedings guided by approved service sentencing guidelines.
Regarding former warder Ampe Lawrence, the Service reminded him that he remains bound by the Code of Conduct and Ethics of the Uganda Public Service in accordance with Section 4.8.3 II, despite no longer being in active service.
Baine reaffirmed that the Uganda Prisons Service continues to execute its mandate under the 1995 Constitution of the Republic of Uganda, guided by its core values of professionalism, reliability, integrity, security, oneness, nationalism and discipline.
Details presented during the briefing show that as of January 5 2026, the Uganda Prisons Service is holding 78,510 inmates across the country. Of these, 42,233 are convicted prisoners, 35,694 are on remand, while 583 are debtors. The inmate population also includes 277 children housed within prison facilities.
The inmates are accommodated in 269 prison units grouped into 19 prison regions nationwide. The total staff strength of the Uganda Prisons Service currently stands at 14,879 officers.