Inmates in Mbarara have raised their concern of denial of national Identifications to the Principal Judge of the High Court of Uganda.
The concern was raised on Friday to the Principal Judge Justice Yorokamu Bamwine while he was launching the plea bargain campaign at Kyamugorani Prison in Kakika, Mbarara.
Ramadan Katabazi one of the inmates who presented grievances on behalf of the other inmates said that most of the inmates in prisons were not considered during the National Identification exercise which covered the whole country last year.
“When government was carrying out the National IDs registration exercise, we as inmates were not considered to access that important document yet we have the right to enjoy the right as Ugandans,” Ramadan said
Justice Bamwine filled the prisoners in Kakika with hope and justice unlike the prisoners of late 1987 that were not catered for very well like today.
“Always have hope for tomorrow; it is not by law that being in prison is the end of life, inmates that were jailed way back in 1980s are not like the prisoners that I see today with a sense of joy,” Justice Bamwine noted inresponse.
He encouraged the inmates to always endeavor to partake in the plea bargaining program instead of waiting for full trials.
“Full trials are time consuming and very expensive unlike plea bargains which are cheap though commensurate to the case committed without lenience or favor,” he said.
Principal Judge of the High Court Justice Yorokamu Bamwine with prison officials at Kyamugranyi Prison in Mbarara on Friday
The Principal Judge urged the judiciary to accept negotiations and to desist from delaying cases in courts of law as well as raising or lowering the years of agreement to inmates which might likely discourage the Directorate of Public Prosecution.
“Justice is never for sale. In judiciary, delaying the case means you are denying justice. Plea bargaining is meant to provide more lenient penalties but follow the principles.”
According to the OC Prisons at Kakika SP Geofrey Mangeni Natabona, Kyamugoranyi Prison currently houses only 395 male inmates and 2 debtors.