The National Commission for Human Rights has raised concerns over delays in providing some inmates with specialised medicines and advanced medical care, particularly when they need referrals to referral hospitals or require medication not covered by community-based health insurance.
The concerns were highlighted in the commission’s inspections of prisons and rehabilitation centres and were presented to both chambers of Parliament on Wednesday, October 28, 2026, during the submission of its 2025/2026 activity report.
Commission chairperson Umurungi Providence said some inmates suffering from conditions that require specialised medication or advanced treatment do not receive the necessary care on time, partly because of delays in referrals to referral hospitals.
She added that some medicines are not covered by community-based health insurance, making them difficult for certain inmates to access.
Beyond healthcare, the commission found that some prisons, particularly those experiencing severe overcrowding, still lack sufficient utensils for serving meals.
Explaining how the commission intends to follow up on the concerns, Umurungi said it would continue conducting inspections to assess whether the identified problems were being addressed.
“When we conduct inspections and identify shortcomings, we immediately engage the relevant institutions. We point out the applicable laws, justice-related issues and case files, and also alert the police when there is a matter requiring attention,” she said.
She added that the commission would continue visiting prisons and rehabilitation centres to monitor the implementation of measures intended to resolve the identified problems and improve inmates’ living conditions.
Meanwhile, Member of Parliament Ayinkamiye Speciose suggested that inmates’ families could help address shortages of bedding and proper meal-serving utensils in collaboration with prison authorities.
“Where there are shortages of bedding and suitable utensils for serving meals, inmates’ families could contribute in collaboration with prison authorities by working together to find bedding and proper meal-serving utensils,” she said.
Despite the outstanding challenges, the commission’s report shows that prison overcrowding declined from 110% in the 2024/2025 financial year to 101.2% in 2025/2026, representing a reduction of 8.8 percentage points.
However, the current overcrowding rate of 101.2% means that the number of inmates still exceeds the prisons’ combined capacity by 1.2%. This highlights the need for continued efforts to improve inmates’ living conditions, including strengthening healthcare services and providing essential supplies.
