Lusaka prisons three times over capacity, judge plans inspection

Lusaka High Court Judge, Vincent Siloka, has announced plans to inspect Chainama Correctional Facility on May 9, 2025, amid growing concerns over overcrowding in Lusaka’s prisons.

The announcement came during the opening of the April criminal session on Monday, where alarming figures on the state of correctional facilities were revealed.

Assistant Commissioner, Tamara Zyambo, officer-in-charge at Chainama, disclosed that Lusaka’s correctional centres were currently operating at more than three times their intended capacity.

As of 06:30 hours on Monday, the facilities housed 5,379 inmates—well beyond the official capacity of 1,228.

A breakdown of inmate numbers revealed the following:

1. Lusaka Central Correctional Facility: 1,442

2. Kamwala Remand: 315

3. Mwembeshi Central Remand: 1,834

4. Mwembeshi Farms: 286

5. Mwembeshi Maximum Facility: 1,145

6. Chainama East Facility: 195

7. Lusaka Central Female Facility: 162

The upcoming inspection is expected to provide a clearer picture of the conditions at Chainama and may prompt further efforts to address the critical issue of overcrowding within Zambia’s correctional system.

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