Uganda Prisons Service has passed out 1,238 warders and wardresses after completing a nine-month training programme.
The recruits underwent a basic prison management course that included physical training, practical skills, parade drills and the handling and care of inmates.
Of the 1,238 graduates, 912 are male and 326 are female.
Speaking at the pass-out ceremony at Luzira headquarters, the commissioner general of prisons, Dr Johnson Byabashaija, said the new recruits bring the total number of staff to 14,852.
He noted that this represents about 38% of the required staffing levels in the institution, highlighting the need for more recruitment.
Byabashaija urged the graduates to uphold professionalism, integrity, discipline and patriotism in their work.
He said these values had enabled him to serve in the prisons service for many years.
“I have managed to serve this institution for a long time because of these positive qualities,” he said.
The minister of Internal Affairs, Maj Gen Kahinda Otafiire, congratulated the graduates but cautioned them against misconduct.
He said the government had invested significant public funds in their training and expected them to serve with honesty.
Otafiire warned the officers against engaging in crime or colluding with inmates.
He also said the government is prioritising the installation of CCTV cameras across the country to strengthen crime control.
