Muramvya: the provincial prison overcrowded

Built in 1948 with a capacity of 100 people, the central prison of Muramvya (central Burundi) hosts 772 detainees, or more than 700%. This prison overcrowding has a negative impact on the lives of prisoners. INFO SOS Médias Burundi

With 350gm of beans and 350gm of cassava flour, the food ration remains insufficient for an adult person.

Added to this is a recurring stock shortage.

“If beans are available, cassava flour is missing and vice versa”.

Detainees from the province of Mwaro (neighboring Muramvya) say they are more affected. They rarely receive assistance from members of their families due to the long distance that separates their remand center and their villages of origin.

“Detainees have difficulty finding where to stay, they also face insufficient sanitary facilities”, said a source at Muramvya central prison that requested anonymity.

The detainees of the central prison of Muramvya ask involved authorities to take measures to unclog this remand center.

The director of Muramvya central prison, Jean Paul Niyongabo, recognizes this prison overcrowding. However, he did not want to make many comments.

Mr. Niyongabo explained that housing and food issues are handled by the government of Burundi.