Water supply to a prison in Uganda cut off due to non-payment of a bill

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One of Uganda's largest prisons has been without water for about two weeks because the bill was not paid, officials said on Monday. An opposition politician spoke of a “national disgrace.”

The maximum security Luzira prison in the capital Kampala houses more than 8,000 male and female inmates and 2,600 staff this year, according to parliamentary records.

“On August 13, 2024, the National Water and Sewerage Corporation disconnected the water supply to the Luzira Prison Complex due to outstanding water bills,” Uganda Prison Service spokesman Frank Baine said in a statement on Monday.

He said the service had about $4.8 million in arrears.

“The situation is a matter of national interest,” Baine said.

Negotiations are currently underway between the prison service, the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economy and the National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NCU) with the aim of resolving the crisis.

In the meantime, the facility relies on trailer-mounted water tanks, Baine said, urging inmates and prison staff to remain calm.

Opposition politician Francis Zaake expressed his outrage over the matter.

“How can the water be turned off in Luzira Prison? Is the government responsible for the affairs of the country?” he told AFP.

“This is a national disgrace.”

The dilapidated complex was built by the British in the 1920s and has long been the focus of discussions about its relocation outside the capital.

This is not the first time that the prison and its inmates have been without water.

In 2017, local media reported that Luzira was also taken offline for non-payment of its bill.

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