Kinshasa: Nearly 70% of Makala Prison Inmates Are in Pretrial Detention

More than 11,000 of the 16,238 inmates at Makala Central Prison in Kinshasa are in pretrial detention, accounting for about 68% of the prison population. During a visit on October 15, 2026, Justice Minister Guillaume Ngefa Atondoko Andali and Prosecutor General Firmin Mvonde Mambu heard inmates complain about detention conditions and appeal for release measures. The minister called for medical assessments of inmates who might qualify for humanitarian release, while the prosecutor general carried out several releases from among 108 cases reviewed. Designed to hold 1,500 people, the prison currently houses 16,238 inmates.