Judge declares police cells as ‘uninhabitable’

THE National Court has condemned the Wabag police cells as uninhabitable and has called on the police commissioner to act immediately.
Justice Graham Ellis has also, in keeping track of the progress towards ensuring cells are livable and humane, requested a report must be provided to the court every two months on progress until the problem is resolved.
The judge has also asked that a report must be handed in every two months until a permanent prison facility is established at Mukurumanda.
The judge said: “It is not the intention of the National Court to become involved in the process or to tell people what they should do although the power to make orders will be exercised if that becomes necessary.
“The National Courts’ interest is in view of what he described the Baisu prison at the beginning of this month to have reached beyond overcrowding.”
His comment  followed his inspections of the Baisu prison last Jan 30, and 31.
“I suspect the same problems I saw at Baisu will exist at other correctional institutions throughout the country.”
The judge said: “The provision of an interim remand facility at Mukurumanda will enable the number of remandees at Baisu, which was approaching 200 during January when the courts were not sitting, to move closer to 100 which, allowing for the separate housing of juvenile and women, should leave not more than 80 men on remand at Baisu.”