By Infora Media
Kampala — The Manager of the Office of the National Chairman, Hajjat Hadijah Namyalo, has donated carpentry equipment worth millions of shillings to inmates at Kitalya Min-Maximum Prison, fulfilling a pledge aimed at strengthening vocational training and rehabilitation efforts.
The donation follows Namyalo’s visit to the facility during the holy month of Ramadan, where she delivered Iftar packages and interacted with inmates. During that visit, prison authorities raised concerns over inadequate tools in the carpentry section, which had slowed down skills training programmes. Namyalo committed to addressing the challenge and has now delivered the equipment.
The items were received by prison leadership led by SP Hassan Walangira, the Officer in Charge, who commended the gesture as timely and impactful. He said the support would significantly enhance vocational training and equip inmates with practical skills for self-reliance after release.
Walingira noted that while the tailoring section had been performing well, the carpentry department had struggled due to limited machinery, a gap now eased by the new equipment. He added that such initiatives contribute to meaningful rehabilitation and reduce recidivism among former inmates.
Following her engagement at the Min-Maximum facility, Namyalo proceeded to Kitalya Farm Prison, where she was received by SP David Musinguzi. He praised the outreach, describing it as inclusive support that reaches marginalized groups often overlooked.
Musinguzi said the farm prison currently houses 1,314 inmates supervised by 128 staff and operates largely as an agricultural facility. He highlighted water scarcity as a key challenge affecting production and daily operations.
In response, Namyalo pledged to lobby for the construction of boreholes to ensure reliable water access. She also promised to mobilize additional welding machines to strengthen technical skills training for inmates.
Addressing congestion in correctional facilities, Namyalo expressed concern over the high number of inmates, particularly those on remand, and called for faster judicial processes to ease overcrowding.
Her intervention underscores growing emphasis on rehabilitation through skills development, aimed at equipping inmates with practical abilities for reintegration into society after serving their sentences.