The Internal Affairs Minister, Maj Gen Kahinda Otafiire, has tasked newly passed-out prison officers to uphold integrity and professionalism as 1,238 recruit warders and wardresses joined the Uganda Prisons Service at Luzira.

The recruits graduated at a ceremony officiated by Vice President Jessica Rose Epel Alupo at the Maroons Grounds, Luzira Prisons Complex, on Friday, April 17th, 2026, marking a major boost to the country’s correctional workforce.

Otafiire used the occasion to outline the government’s broader plan to transform the Uganda Prisons Service into a key player in socio-economic development.

“The Prison Service is now a major producer of raw cotton and seeks to support Uganda’s socio-economic transformation agenda,” he said.

He said the service is expanding its role through agriculture, industrial production, and rehabilitation programs aimed at turning inmates into productive citizens.

“The Prison Service is a key major stakeholder in the socio-economic transformation through prison farms, industries that support food security and industrializationas well as the development models,” Otafiire noted.

Otafiire also revealed plans to establish integrated prison industries, including tanneries, footwear, furniture, and garment manufacturing, and proposed local production of ceremonial regalia like pips for security forces to cut costs.

Addressing the graduates directly, the minister warned against corruption and unprofessional conduct, urging them to serve with discipline and patriotism.

“They must exercise their constitutional authority over inmates firmly but with compassion,” he said.

The ceremony, attended by senior security officials including Assistant Inspector General of Police Moses Kafeero, signals the beginning of service for the recruits as the prison service strengthens capacity and professionalism.