Today in History; November 29, 1961

Sunday visits to prisoners in Murchison Bay near Kampala were stopped because many visitors were turning up and the few staff could not cope with them.

N.A. Cameroon, the Commissioner of prisons said the staff was at its absolute minimum, and because of this, there were complaints about lengths of time it took visitors to get checked in. In addition, the number of visitors in relation to staff was so high on Sundays and this posed a security risk. He was replying to criticisms made by an ex-prisoner about visiting rights.

The ex-prisoner said that visitors had been turned away from the prison gates, after some had made long journeys because of the new ‘no-Sunday visit rule’ yet Sunday was the only day the prisoners’ friends and relatives would be free to visit them.

The commissioner promised new measures to speed up checking-in time and process for the visitors by starting a pass system and prisoners were entitled to receive a only a limited number of visitors.

Did you know?

The Pigeon Hole Constitution: In 1966 Prime Minister Milton Obote drafted a new constitution. He placed copies in the pigeon holes of the parliamentary building for MPs to pick and read.

He then convened parliament and the constitution was passed without debate. The new constitution created the position of an executive president which Obote assumed.