Jinja faces a major crisis as 15 suspects recently escaped from two police stations, exposing critical police station security failures throughout the city. Officials launched immediate investigations after prisoners broke out of both Jinja Central Police Station and Masese Police Station in a single night.
Ten suspects fled from Jinja Central Police Station on Sunday night. Hours later, five more detainees escaped from Masese Police Station by breaking through the ceiling. Staff only discovered the second breakout during routine morning checks on Monday.
Mr. Hassan Magumba, Chairperson of Masese Landing Site, blamed staffing shortages for the incident. “The station lacks accommodation for officers,” he explained. “They must commute daily from the Police Barracks,” reducing overall security coverage.
Kiira Police Spokesperson James Mubi confirmed both incidents on Monday. He reported that officers have recaptured one escapee so far. A coordinated search continues for the remaining 14 fugitives across the region.
Jinja City Resident City Commissioner Richard Gulume called an emergency security meeting to address the crisis. He expressed shock about the breach at Jinja Central Police Station.
“This marks the second mass escape from this station since 2021, when 17 suspects broke out,” Gulume said. “We need to understand exactly what happened.”
The security problems extend beyond prisoner escapes. In January 2020, thieves stole a television from Jinja Police Station’s reception area, despite security cameras watching the space.
“The station has CCTV monitoring both inside and outside areas,” Gulume noted. “Why didn’t these systems prevent the escape?”
An anonymous security source revealed deeper organizational issues. The source claimed many officers grow complacent after serving too long at one location without advancement. This creates “intentional reluctance” among staff and tensions with supervisors.
Officials promised a thorough investigation into these recurring security failures. The pattern suggests systemic problems within Jinja’s police facilities that demand urgent attention from leadership.
