Minister of Home Affairs and Internal Security, Jack Mwiimbu, has announced that the New Mwembeshi Correctional Facility in Chilanga District will be commissioned before the end of the year.
The state of the art facility, constructed through a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) with Mukuyu Ventures Limited, was completed in July last year.
Speaking during a tour of the facility today, Mwiimbu emphasized that the new correctional center will play a crucial role in decongesting prisons across the country. He noted that Zambia’s correctional facilities currently house over 29,000 inmates, far exceeding their collective holding capacity of 10,000.
“The overcrowding in our correctional facilities is a serious challenge. This new facility is a major step toward addressing the issue,” Mwiimbu stated.
Accompanying the Minister on the tour were Home Affairs Permanent Secretary Dickson Matembo and other senior government officials.
Meanwhile, Zambia Correctional Service (ZCS) Commissioner General Fredrick Chilukutu revealed that 73 officers from various regions have already been stationed at the facility, with all housing units now occupied.
Chilukutu further disclosed that inmates will be relocated to the new facility by August, ahead of its official commissioning.
“We have already procured some bunk beds, and more will be delivered in due course,” he added.
The New Mwembeshi Correctional Facility has a holding capacity of 1,800 inmates and features 28 dormitories, each designed to accommodate 52 inmates. Additional amenities include eight classrooms, a library, a kitchen, two clinics, a chapel, office blocks, and 66 housing units for officers. The facility will house male, female, and juvenile inmates.
📸 ZCS