538 Kampala convicts sentenced to community service, 150 deployed for city cleaning

By Our Reporter

A total of 538 people convicted of minor offences in Kampala have been sentenced to one month of community service, with at least 150 already deployed to clean markets, schools and other public spaces across the city.

The convicts, who were sentenced on Monday after being held at Luzira Prison, will undertake unpaid cleaning and sanitation work under assignments coordinated by Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) across the city’s five divisions.

Their offences ranged from public nuisance, illegal trading and operating businesses without licences to drunkenness, staging unlawful roadblocks and disturbing public peace. Others were convicted of fighting, smoking opium and attempting to steal from pedestrians.

Senior Magistrate at City Hall Court, His Worship Edgar Karakire, said community service was an appropriate punishment, particularly for first-time offenders who had demonstrated remorse and expressed willingness to reform.

The court considered the nature of the offences and the offenders’ eligibility for non-custodial sentences. Some cases were also concluded through plea-bargaining arrangements.

Each convict was sentenced to one month of unpaid public work and issued with an introductory letter and monitoring forms to present to KCCA. The Authority will coordinate their deployment and monitor their performance to ensure compliance with the court orders.

Among the offences were trading without a licence, contrary to Section 7(1) and (3) of the Trading Licensing Act, Cap 79, and disturbing public peace under Section 7(c) of the Kampala City Council Maintenance of Law and Order Ordinance.

Community service is a non-custodial punishment in which convicted offenders perform unpaid work for the benefit of society instead of serving a prison sentence. It generally applies to offences carrying a maximum prison sentence of two years or less.

The approach is intended to promote rehabilitation and accountability while reducing the number of people held in prison for minor offences.

KCCA and the Ministry of Internal Affairs’ Department of Community Service will jointly supervise the programme, ensuring that the offenders complete their assigned duties and meet the conditions of their sentences.

The initiative is also expected to strengthen the city’s sanitation efforts, with markets, schools and other community facilities benefiting from the cleaning activities.

With at least 150 convicts already deployed, the programme is expected to provide additional manpower for public cleaning while giving offenders an opportunity to make amends through service to the communities affected by their actions.