President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has promoted 11 senior officers in the Uganda Prisons Service (UPS) in a fresh round of appointments aimed at strengthening the leadership of the country’s correctional system.
The promotions, announced in Service Orders Part II No. 07/2026 dated July 1, 2026, were issued by the Commissioner General of Prisons, Can. Dr. Johnson Byabashaija, following appointments made by the President under Article 172(1) of the Constitution of Uganda and Section 10(c) of the Prisons Act, 2006, acting on the advice of the Prisons Authority.
The latest appointments elevate five officers to the rank of Senior Commissioner of Prisons (SCP) and six others to the rank of Commissioner of Prisons (CP), marking one of the significant senior leadership promotions within the Uganda Prisons Service this year.
Among those promoted to the rank of Senior Commissioner of Prisons are:
- Ms. Aliyo Naatukunda
- Ms. Geraldine Prossy Najjuma
- Mr. Stephen Lugonda
- Mr. James Emotu
- Mr. Moses Ssentalo
Meanwhile, the officers elevated to the rank of Commissioner of Prisons are:
- Mr. Godwin George Lenga
- Mr. Fred Kajjubi Kayongo
- Mr. James Cockers Okriror
- Mr. Francis Xavier Elubu
- Ms. Mary Centinary
- Ms. Christine Peace Babirye
In the service orders, Commissioner General Byabashaija congratulated the promoted officers and challenged them to uphold professionalism in the execution of their duties.
“Congratulations to all who have earned the promotion. I urge you to work even harder and maintain the highest standards of professionalism,” Byabashaija said.
The appointments underscore the constitutional role of the President as the appointing authority for senior officers within the Uganda Prisons Service, acting upon recommendations from the Prisons Authority.
The Uganda Prisons Service is one of Uganda’s disciplined forces mandated to provide safe custody of offenders, facilitate rehabilitation and reintegration of inmates into society, and contribute to public safety.
In recent years, the institution has expanded its focus beyond incarceration to include vocational training, agricultural production, rehabilitation programmes, and decongestion of prisons.
Leadership promotions within the service are viewed as critical to strengthening institutional management, improving prison administration, and enhancing implementation of ongoing reforms aimed at modernising Uganda’s correctional system.
The promoted officers are expected to assume greater responsibilities in prison administration, policy implementation, inmate rehabilitation, security management and oversight of correctional facilities across the country.
The appointments take immediate effect, according to the service orders issued from the Uganda Prisons Service Headquarters in Kampala.
