Mutufu prison inmate dies while digging on Bulambuli farm

By; Weswa Ronnie

A 22-year-old inmate, Alex Wolibwa, alias Magolo, yesterday Wednesday collapsed and died while being rushed for medical treatment after fainting during forced labor at a farm in Bulambuli District.

The incident has reignited outrage over Uganda’s brutal prison conditions, where inmates face overwork, starvation wages, and alleged exploitation by authorities.

Wolibwa, an inmate at Mutufu Government Prison in Sironko District, was among 60 prisoners sent to toil at Kata Army Farm in Bunabutye Sub-county under the supervision of prison officers. Eyewitnesses say he had been laboring for hours under the scorching sun with minimal breaks before collapsing at around 3:00 PM.

Despite efforts to take him to Muyembe Health Center IV, he died en route. Wolibwa had been imprisoned for cattle theft—a non-violent offense that should not have led to his death.

Police spokesperson Rogers Taitika  confirmed that investigations are ongoing but described the case as a “sudden death.” However, rights activists argue that Wolibwa’s death was anything but sudden—it was the result of systemic neglect.

“Prisoners are being worked to the bone,” said a former inmate who spoke anonymously. “We dig all day, eat once if we’re lucky, and see no money. The officers profit while we suffer

 Sources reveal that prisoners are routinely used as free labor on government and private farms, with earnings allegedly pocketed by prison bosses. Overcrowding, malnutrition, and lack of medical care worsen their plight.

“They treat us worse than animals,” another inmate said. “If you collapse, they might not even help you—they’ll just call you lazy  one of the prisoners told his relative who had gone to visit him

 While Rogers Taitika  stated that “relevant statements have been recorded” and the body was taken to Mbale City Mortuary for postmortem, activists demand more than just procedure—they want accountability.

“Alex Wolibwa’s death was preventable,” said a local rights defender. “How many more must die before Uganda stops treating prisoners like slaves

As the nation demands justice, one thing is clear,Uganda’s prisons are a death trap for the poor and powerless.