Bubanza : the prison director suspended for mismanagement

SOS Médias Burundi

Bubanza, March 26, 2026 — Bubanza Prison, located in Bubanza district, Bujumbura province in western Burundi, is at the center of a mismanagement scandal. Its director, Samuel Kayanda, has been administratively suspended from his duties pending possible legal or disciplinary action.

According to consistent testimonies from inmates, the prison director is accused of having established a bribery scheme within the prison. The prisoners claim he extorted sums ranging from 100,000 to 300,000 Burundi francs from them in exchange for certain privileges. These included the possession of cell phones—which are prohibited in detention—and the promise of being assigned roles representing other inmates, with the possibility of improving their prison conditions.

In addition to these denounced practices, living conditions within the prison also raised serious concerns. Inmates reported facing a food shortage for a week, during which they ate only beans, without the cornmeal or cassava usually included in their rations. However, according to some internal sources, supplies were supposedly delivered regularly.

In response to this situation, the prison services held a handover ceremony with the new prison officials on Saturday, March 21, 2026. This transition was marked by recommendations focused on rigorous and transparent management of the Bubanza prison. Since this change, inmates report seeing an improvement, particularly with the return of cornmeal to their daily diet.

The case of Samuel Kayanda continues to garner attention among the local public, as Bubanza prison exemplifies the challenges faced by correctional facilities in the small east African nation, with some prisons hosting over 700% of their intended capacity.