Makala Prison suspends new admissions in Kinshasa
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Lepotentiel
The DR Congo government has temporarily suspended the admission of new inmates to Makala Central Prison in Kinshasa, which held 16,155 people on 16 October despite a capacity of 1,500. The Ministry of Justice describes the measure as an exceptional response to overcrowding and a way to protect inmates’ safety and dignity, according to its statement of 21 October 2026.
Makala Central Prison in Kinshasa has suspended new admissions following a circular signed on 21 October 2026, according to a statement from the office of the Minister of State for Justice in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo). The measure is intended to address prison overcrowding, which the ministry considers particularly alarming.
Makala, built to hold 1,500 people, had 16,155 inmates as of 16 October, including 303 women and 201 children, according to figures from the Ministry of Justice. The suspension is described as temporary and precautionary, to prevent conditions of detention from deteriorating and to protect inmates’ safety, health and dignity.
The ministry links this responsibility of the state to the law of 15 July 2023 on the prison system and says it intends to continue reducing overcrowding in facilities and improving conditions of detention.
Summary produced with the help of artificial intelligence tools, under AFREEQUE’s editorial responsibility.
