By Obbo Yusuf
The woman Member of Parliament for Iganga district Kauma sauda has visited Iganga prison where she extended her Ramadan support to Muslim prisoners. Sauda who is also a member of the committee of defense and internal affairs said it’s her mandate as a leader to visit and check on prisoners to understand their situation.
“We must check routes of the law; and understand situations of our people in custody, everyone is a potential victim of these circumstances, by us visiting these people shows love and care for fellow humans ’’ said Hon Kauma
Iganga main prisons hosts over 316 prisoners, out of which 83 are fasting the holy month of Ramadan, basing on that Hon Kauma Sauda reached out to the prison authorities donating rice, posho ,cooking oil ,sugar and bread.
While at the prison the woman Member of Parliament used the opportunity to share with prisoners both male and female who narrated their shocking and touching stories to her.
Waiswa Bashir who was arrested in 2009, has spent 22 years on Robbery charges emotionally said justice is for the rich and the poor are to suffer “we are perishing in custody as a result of a police incompetence, justice falls in the hands of the rich, in the prison we are denied even what the laws permit us to be given, indeed prison is total darkness and hell”
Takwemazayo Nuru who has spent 19 years in prison says, that inside prison is hot, more especially when it comes to women “Every day is like hell, many of us even opt to choose death but what of our children, we lack what to use. Women don’t pad themselves which is unhealthy and poor hygiene more especially to us who are Muslims, we cry out to everyone outside to come and rescue the situation, we appreciate you Hon, for thinking about us”
Nuru has called upon authorities to put in place measures for child care for children belonging to prisoners especially single mothers.
Nuru said “I wish the government looks into the issue of children for the prisoners, after our arrest, we are taken to serve for long, our little children are left back with no idea to push life, no one cares for them and in the end, our children are poorly natured. In the prison we are subjected to hard work and our efforts are not recognized anywhere”
Masembo Juma who is on a defilement case added that many of them are in jail as a result of a police dogs.
“If you do research you may find out that out of the total number of prisoners here 100 were captured by a police dog, police relies on its dog to pin people for different offenses. Many of us like me are innocent of the cases we were charged of,, let your coming here be fruitful to all prisoners in Uganda, let there be a revision on how police evidence by a dog is used to pin suspects. More art should be applied than relying on hungry dogs, one alternative shall end many innocent Ugandans in jail”
Hon Kauma Sauda asked prisoners to always use their time in prison to enrich themselves about the law and use it to fight for their freedom from oppression.
Kauma says, basing on what she has noticed at Iganga prison she is going to lead a group of legislators together with the committee on defense and internal affairs to visit this prison to assist in solving the many noticed challenges.
Iganga main prison is just like other big prisons that occupy a larger number of prisoners than the exact number meant to occupy
“Women face it most while in jail, lack of sanitary towels/pads and poor hygiene attracts discomfort, stories from Muslim women have attracted tears from everyone’s face, we need to do something about it as MPs,” said Hon Kauma Sauda.
