Burundi: prisons on the verge of overcrowding, the justice department promises measures in two months

SOS Médias Burundi

Bujumbura, May 22, 2026 – Prison overcrowding continues to worry Burundian authorities, parliamentarians, and human rights defenders. This Wednesday, during a question period at the National Assembly in Kigobe, in the economic capital Bujumbura, the Minister of Justice, Alfred Ahingejeje, acknowledged an “alarming” situation in Burundi’s prisons, where more than 19,000 inmates are currently incarcerated in facilities designed to hold only about 4,000 people.

The Minister presented the findings of the Court of Auditors’ report on the organization of prison facilities to the members of parliament. The figures presented show widespread overcrowding in almost all of the country’s prisons, with occupancy rates far exceeding their initial capacity.

Mpimba Central Prison, located in the economic capital Bujumbura, remains the most overcrowded prison in the country. Built in 1926 to house 400 inmates, it now holds 4,201 prisoners, an occupancy rate exceeding 1,050%, according to figures released by the Ministry of Justice.

Ngozi Men’s Prison, meanwhile, holds 1,834 inmates despite having an initial capacity of 400, representing an occupancy rate of over 458%.

Other facilities are also severely overcrowded, including the prisons in Rumonge (southwest), Rutana (south), and Bubanza, in the west of the country.

Gitega Central Prison, in Burundi’s political capital, is also among the most affected facilities. Built to house 400 inmates, it currently holds over 1,400 prisoners, with an occupancy rate exceeding 350%.

In Rumonge, the prison houses 1,461 inmates, while Bubanza has 434, a capacity far below the current population. Rutana prison is also experiencing severe overcrowding, with an estimated occupancy rate of over 370%.

Minister Alfred Ahingejeje explained that this crisis is exacerbated by several factors, including the lack of separation between those awaiting trial and those convicted, as well as the mismanagement of certain legal cases.

“This overcrowding is aggravated by the lack of separation between those convicted and those awaiting trial,” he told members of parliament, while also denouncing shortcomings in the handling of legal cases that lead to some people remaining in detention for extended periods without trial.

The debates in the National Assembly were particularly tense. The head of the institution, Daniel Gélase Ndabirabe, demanded that those responsible for the malfunctions be identified and punished.

“Who are these people who are not working properly? Who is making these decisions? We want to know what sanctions will be imposed on them,” he declared.

He also denounced the failure to comply with certain presidential instructions regarding the release of detainees.

“When the Head of State gives directives, they must be implemented immediately,” he insisted, threatening to appeal directly to the Presidency if no swift solution is found.

During the debates, several members of parliament argued that keeping people imprisoned without trial constitutes not only a violation of fundamental rights, but also a heavy economic burden for the State and the families involved.

Some elected officials proposed that detainees be given access to arable land to produce some of their own food, in a context marked by the progressive reduction of the prison budget.

According to figures presented by the minister, this budget has decreased from over 14 billion Burundian francs in 2023-2024 to over 12 billion in 2024-2025, before falling to just over 8 billion projected for the 2025-2026 fiscal year.

Human rights defenders are also concerned about the worsening prison situation. The NTABARIZA association denounces a steady increase in the number of detainees.

Its president, Jean Marie Nshimirimana, believes that presidential pardons and conditional releases are not producing the desired results, due in particular to corruption and certain political considerations.

“It is not normal to release one hundred detainees only to have twice as many imprisoned,” he lamented.

He calls on the Ministry of Justice and the Attorney General’s Office to work together to find lasting solutions to this problem.

Faced with growing criticism and concerns, Minister Alfred Ahingejeje promised that concrete measures to alleviate prison overcrowding would be implemented within two months.

According to him, these measures will be part of the new policy to bring justice closer to citizens.

Burundi currently has 11 prisons and two juvenile detention centers located in Rumonge and Ruyigi, in the east of the country. The Ruyigi juvenile rehabilitation center remains the only facility with a relatively stable occupancy rate, with 53 inmates for a capacity of 72, or approximately 74%.

This overcrowding is exacerbated by insufficient food, lack of access to healthcare, dilapidated prison infrastructure, inadequate funding for prisons, and judicial delays that prolong the detention of many prisoners, according to several observers and human rights defenders.