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Maula Prison

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Coordinates: 13°58′10″S 33°46′1″E / 13.96944°S 33.76694°E / -13.96944; 33.76694
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Maula Prison
Map
Interactive map of Maula Prison
LocationLilongwe, Malawi
Coordinates13°58′10″S 33°46′1″E / 13.96944°S 33.76694°E / -13.96944; 33.76694
StatusOperational
Security classMaximum (male and female)
Capacity800
Population2,800 (in 2018)
Openedc. 1965
Managed byMalawi Government

Maula Prison is a maximum-security prison located in Lilongwe, Malawi. The overcrowded prison is for men, women, and young offenders. The shortages include cells, toilets, showers, taps, and food.

History

The prison was constructed in about 1965 to hold 800 people[1] during the presidency of Hastings Kamuzu Banda. The prison is the largest in the country[2] and it is over-crowded. Cells designed for 60 people contain over 190. Many Ethiopian migrants are held here.[3] In 2016, there were 2,650 prisoners.[2] It was reported that 160 of these may have completed their sentences, but they had not been released, as these migrants must pay for their own deportation. A single tap can be shared by 900 and a toilet can serve 160. Nearly 200 share a shower. Beans are served once a week to supplement the daily meal of corn flour porridge.[3] In 2018, the population was said to have been 2,800.[4]

Medicins Sans Frontiers has offered medical services there since 2014,[2] not only to the inmates but also to the poorly paid staff, as they cannot afford to consult a doctor.[3]

In 2022, Rudo Chakwera was at the prison entertaining the prisoners in the young offenders section. She was there with other musicians including Chikondi Wiseman. The facility was new and facing challenges including a lack of food.[5] The young offenders' education was not supported. In 2024, Malawi Human Rights Commission secretary Habiba Osman welcomed the move of nearly sixty of them to an alternative facility, so that they could study for their primary school-leaving certificate.[6]

Corruption

In 2016, four prisoners escaped from a cell holding 100. The authorities arrested two of the warders suspecting collusion.[7] In September 2021, wildlife trader Lin Yunhua was sentenced to 14 years in prison for both illegal trading and money laundering. He had dealt in tonnes of pangolin scales, rhino horn and ivory[8] and was expected to be deported.[9] In 2021, it was revealed that he had allegedly offered a large bribe and to pay for the completion of a house for the officer-in-charge of Maula Prison, Aaron Ganyavu. The bribe was offered in the hope of influencing the judge, Violet Chipao, to give Lin Yunhua a more lenient sentence. In 2025, Lin Yunhua was surprisingly pardoned by President Lazarus Chakwera, but was rearrested by the Anti-Corruption Bureau.[8]

See also

References

  1. ^ Wines, Michael (6 November 2005). "The Forgotten of Africa, Wasting Away in Jails Without Trial". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 27 March 2026.
  2. ^ a b c "Gallery: Inside Chichiri and Maula Prisons in Malawi | MSF". www.msf.org. Retrieved 26 March 2026.
  3. ^ a b c Banning-Lover, Rachel (29 July 2016). "Behind the walls of Malawi's harshest prisons – in pictures". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 26 March 2026.
  4. ^ Chikoti, Martha (17 June 2016). "Avoid prison at all costs: 2800 people squeeze into Maula in a place of 800 people". Malawi 24. Retrieved 26 March 2026.
  5. ^ Kalumbi, Mike (25 December 2022). "Musician Rudo celebrates with young offenders at Maula Prison". Malawi 24. Retrieved 26 March 2026.
  6. ^ Agency (MANA), Malawi News (4 January 2024). "Maula Prison moves 58 young offenders to Thyolo for exam preparations". Malawi 24. Retrieved 26 March 2026.
  7. ^ "Maula Prison escape: Two warders arrested – Yoneco FM". 14 July 2016. Retrieved 26 March 2026.
  8. ^ a b Simire, Michael (12 January 2026). "Wildlife trafficker, Lin Yunhua, pleads not guilty to corruption charges amid high-stakes trial". EnviroNews. Retrieved 26 March 2026.
  9. ^ "Court Hands Chinese Wildlife Trafficker 32 years Prison term". 247Malawi News. 29 September 2021. Retrieved 23 March 2026.
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