Uganda’s Prime Minister, Robinah Nabbanja By Prisca WanyenyaPrime Minister Robinah Nabbanja has warned Uganda Prisons Services against forcing inmates to kneel in public and asked for disciplinary action to be taken against prison warders who disrespect and dehumanise prisoners in their custody.“I wish to further clarify that requiring prisoners to kneel or sit on the floor while receiving visitors is not a standard practice of the Uganda Prison Service. Where such practices are identified in any prison facility, the responsible officers are discouraged from permitting or perpetuating them and where necessary disciplinary action may be taken against officers found responsible for mismanagement,” Nabbanja said.She issued the warning during the 29th October 2026 plenary sitting, while responding to a complaint raised by Charles Tebandeke (Bbale County) who noted that while prison authorities have legitimate responsibilities relating to security, discipline and good order, the practice of making prisoners kneel and sit down on the floor during prison visits is humiliating and demeaning.Tebandeke argued, “Imagine a parent and an elder getting imprisoned and his or her family members come to visit him or her in prison and he or she has to kneel or sit on the floor throughout the entire visit while the relative or subordinate sits on the chair. This practice is absurd and inconsistent with our cultural values and laws. Does one being a prisoner by law make them lose their inherent dignity or rights as a father, a mother, elder or an inmate, a person?”Nabbanja informed Parliament that the Uganda Prison Service has established procedures governing the manner in which prisoners receive visitors, citing paragraph 8.1 of Chapter 38 of the Prison Standing Orders, Part 2, that provides that every prison shall have a suitable place designated for visits between prisoners and their friends or relatives.Parliament was informed that the Standing Orders further require such visiting places to be furnished with a table and appropriate seating arrangement, including chairs with the prisoner separated from the visitor by a table measuring no less than three feet in width.“Imprisonment does not define an individual of their inherent human dignity. While a person is lawfully committed to prison, are subject to restrictions necessary for safe custody, security, discipline and good order, they remain entitled to humane treatment and protection of their fundamental rights in accordance with the law,” Nabbanja said.The Uganda Prison Service further clarified that most prison units across the country have designated visitation facilities equipped with appropriate seating arrangements for both prisoners and their visitors.In some facilities, such as in Luzira Upper Prison, visits are conducted through an intercom system installed at the designated visitation area, allowing communication between prisoners and their visitors while maintaining the necessary security arrangements. In prison units where permanent or designated visitation structures are not available, arrangements are made to provide at least two chairs or a bench for the prisoner and the visitor.The post Stop Making Prisoners Kneel: Nabbanja Orders Action Against Warders Who Humiliate Inmates appeared first on Business Focus.