A former Uganda Prisons Service custody health officer, James Turyatunga, has accused the institution of corruption and denying him justice after he was declared a deserter under contentious circumstances.
Turyatunga, who once served at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, says his troubles began in 2021 when he refused instructions from his superiors to sign for money he insists he had never received.
During the lockdown, Turyatunga had been transferred from Luzira to Moroto Prison, where he says he played a frontline role treating more than 150 inmates infected with COVID-19.
After returning to Kampala, he was posted to Kitalya Prison, where, according to him, the conflict emerged. He alleges that his commanders asked him and other health workers to acknowledge receipt of payments they had never been given for their work at the COVID-19 treatment centre.
He said when he refused to sign for the money he’d not received, shortly after, he was transferred to Koboko and told to report immediately. He said he was denied transport facilitation and was instead declared a deserter for failing to report to his new duty station, and chased out of Kitalya prison barracks.
According to him, an aide to the then deputy commissioner general of prisons later contacted him, demanding a Shs 300,000 bribe to “help” him process his deployment and study leave.
“I dodged his requests and recorded our conversations as evidence,” he said. “But things took a dark turn. I began receiving life-threatening calls.”
Turyatunga says he sought help from the State House Anti-Corruption Unit, the Inspectorate of Government, and the Prisons Commissioner General’s office, but received no assistance.
Instead, he says, he was declared wanted, with instructions to arrest him on sight at any prisons facility. Prisons spokesperson Frank Baine has dismissed all allegations of corruption and persecution, insisting that Turyatunga deserted and was treated according to the law.
Last month, Turyatunga was arrested and charged with desertion before Nakawa Magistrate’s court under Section 46(1) & (3) of the Prisons Act. He spent several weeks on remand in Luzira before being granted bail on December 9, 2025.
Since then, he says he has written to the Inspector General of Police (IGP) seeking permission to hold a peaceful protest outside the prisons headquarters to demand compensation for losing his job, but police have not responded.
Turyatunga believes the threats he continues to receive stem from his attempts to expose corruption within the service. Despite his training as a clinical officer from Mulago Medical School, he says the “deserter” label has damaged his reputation and cost him employment opportunities.
He also describes the wider impact on his family. His two children have dropped out of primary school, and his sister is no longer in secondary school because he cannot afford the fees.
The experience, he says, has reinforced his belief that justice in Uganda is difficult to access without money or influence.
“Without money, you can’t get justice, especially when fighting corruption cases involving powerful figures in government,” he said.
“This ordeal has been a harsh lesson. It’s only my strong conviction that keeps me going. I have visited numerous offices to no avail. Accessing justice through the courts is also daunting due to the high cost of hiring lawyers, which is why many people give up, overwhelmed by the stress and financial burden of pursuing a case.”
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