Pictures of renowned government critic and writer Dr. Stella Nyanzi in Luzira prison uniforms, slippers and handcuffs at the beginning of this week made rounds on social media after she claimed to have stolen them from the Luzira Maximum Security Prison.
The Writer is currently in Germany where she fled from Uganda in February 2021 a year after her release from Luzira prison where she had served 18 months for insulting President Museveni.
However, the Spokesperson of Uganda Prison Services Fred Baine dismissed Nyanzi's claims saying that the properties the writer held didn't belong to the Prison. He further indicated that many materials were available on the market that could be used to make uniforms similar to that of the Prison.
Like Baine, Olive Najjuma, The Fatboy Show Presenter on RX Radio disbelieved Nyanzi saying that it's not possible that Nyanzi could exit the prison premises with prison property.
“I've seen this as the practice in many prisons; when you're leaving they will search you and you will wear the clothes that you arrived in at the premises or those that your family has delivered. So how exactly would she have left with the uniforms and why?” she questioned.
“Forgive me but I just don't believe her, I think she’s just being dramatic,“ she added.
The Uganda Prisons Act of 2006 makes it illegal for anyone to leave with prison property and is liable for punishment under Section 104 of the Act.
The offender is charged with a fine of 600,000 shillings or a jail term that does not exceed a year, or both.
Stella Nyanzi claimed that she was aware of the offense and is ready to serve the jail term, acknowledging that she stole the uniforms intentionally. She is currently living in Munich Germany where she is undertaking a scholarship opportunity as a writer.
The Fatboy show is hosted by James Onen aka Fatboy, Olive and Sarah every weekday from 6am to 10am on RX Radio.