Inmates at the Luzira Maximum security Prison have excelled in the recently released Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education, with the best scoring 18 points.
A total of 67% of the 33 candidates qualify to pursue Diplomas and degrees, while 33 % can advance through certificate courses.
Of the 33, 14 candidates got two principle passes, 6 candidates got three principle passes while 8 got a principle pass. Thirty three male sat for the exams and two females who scored 4 points and 1 point.
Some of the inmates have ambition to study law, with the hope of helping inmates and people who cannot afford good lawyers, but also because some of them think they went to jail because their lawyers didn’t do enough.
Allan Mwesigwa who scored 13 points said he did not perform as expected, but he is glad he got three principle passes. Mwesigwa who is in jail for defilement hopes to be a lawyer to serve people.
He says looking at the way his case was handled, his lawyer did not do enough to help him as expected. He says going by the experience in jail, he has learnt a lot from several people who have maintained innocence despite being in jail thus his dream to enroll for law.
Another 54 year old Charles Uyirwoth who is in jail for aggravated robbery praised the Prisons for availing him the opportunity to study. He also says he hopes to do law to serve people languishing in jail.
Although he was a soldier at the time of his arrest, he says he has had some time to reflect and has also known God, thus his dream to do law. Uyirwoth has so far served 15 of the 30 years in jail.
Ronald Katongole, a 26 year old who was jailed in 2014 for defilement and sat his senior four still from the Prisons topped the scores with 18 points. He says his dream is to become an accountant.
He says he was jailed when he was in senior three, and will embark on further education when he gets out this April.
According to Gilbert Niwamanya, the Headmaster Luzira Upper Prison school, the performance is better compared to 2018, as the best candidate in 2018 scored 17 points, but now they have 18. He says generally the students have passed.
Patrick Kilama, an inmate who scored only two points says that he is planning to repeat so that he can achieve better results.
Kilama, who is serving 16 years for murder says it is not the end of the road.
Several inmates have made it to University and other advanced education after secondary school, including law. The African prisons project and the University of London Law degree programs have helped these dreams come true.
The News Editor ,Reporter at Kagadi Kibaale community Radio
