Uganda Prisons denies claims of female inmates getting pregnant in jail

Officials from the Uganda Prisons Service have refuted allegations and public concerns regarding the possibility of female inmates conceiving while in custody. 

The authorities described such allegations as unfounded and impossible under the current prison system.

The clarification was made on Friday morning during a session with Parliament’s Defence and Internal Affairs Committee, where prison and police leadership had gathered to present their budget estimates for the 2026/27 financial year.

The discussion was prompted by the Chairperson of the Committee, Wilson Kajwengye (MP Nyabushozi), who questioned the high number of infants currently residing within correctional facilities. 

According to a report presented to the committee, over 260 women are either on remand or serving sentences alongside their young children. 

Mr Kajwengye tasked the officials to explain whether these women arrive at the gates while already pregnant or if the pregnancies are occurring within the prison walls. 

"Otherwise, how can the country continue having so many babies in prisons?" he asked

In response, the Deputy Commissioner General of Prisons, Samuel Akena, dismissed the notion of in-house conception as a physical impossibility given the structural segregation of the facilities. 

He explained that the service maintains a rigorous pre-entry screening process for all female inmates, which includes mandatory pregnancy tests. 

Mr Akena noted that many women arrive in the very early stages of pregnancy and subsequently give birth while in custody. 

"Once she is with us, that means she is going to give birth in prison. This therefore should clear up that thinking that some women are getting pregnant while with us," he asserted.

Regarding the welfare of the children, the Deputy Commissioner General revealed that the conditions provided within the prison’s specialised baby centres are often more favourable than what the children might face outside, leading many mothers to keep their infants with them. 

While the law previously set a limit of 18 months, current policy allows children to remain with their mothers for up to 24 months. 

For those children whose external relatives are unwilling or unable to provide a home after this period, the Prisons Service collaborates with various non-governmental organisations to ensure they are placed in safe environments.