By KT Reporter
The Uganda Prisons Service has designated Mbarara Main Prison Primary and Secondary School as a centre of excellence for inmate education, joining Luzira Prison as the second such facility in the country.
The announcement was made on Monday by Anatolia Biryomumaisho, the Commissioner of Formal Education in Uganda Prisons, during the commencement of the Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE) examinations at the institution. Mbarara Main Prison Primary and Secondary School is among 37 sitting centers in Mbarara City, with 12 inmates currently sitting for their final examinations.
Biryomumaisho said the recognition follows significant progress since the school’s establishment and the growing number of inmates showing interest in formal education. He revealed that plans are underway to introduce a university program at the center by 2026.
“We already have primary, O-Level, and A-Level education here. Once we reach the required number of learners for continuity, we hope to start a university program in Mbarara, fostered by Makerere University Business School (MUBS),” Biryomumaisho said. He noted that MUBS already offers Uganda Prisons 150 university admission slots annually, with 50 inmates admitted at the start of each year.
Mbarara Prison, he added, benefits indirectly from this arrangement. “We could not start the university program in Mbarara earlier because we didn’t have a critical number of inmates to sustain the system,” he explained. Tertiary education for inmates was first introduced in 2010 at Luzira Prison, under a partnership with Makerere University Business School, followed in 2013 by a University of London degree program for inmates.
Winnie Wasanya, the headteacher of Mbarara Main Prison Primary and Secondary School, appealed to the government to improve infrastructure and recruit more teachers to meet growing demand. Meanwhile, Denis Tumwesigye, the inmates’ headteacher for the secondary section, said enrolment has increased this year compared to last, with numbers rising from below 10 to over 15 candidates at both O-Level and A-Level.
He expressed optimism that the institution will soon qualify to host a university program, citing continuous growth in inmate participation. Currently, Mbarara Main Prison Primary and Secondary School has 18 inmate teachers, 12 external teachers, and a total of 96 inmates enrolled across various levels of study.
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