Jailbreak during storm in Uganda

Many prisoners in East Africa are held in poor conditions

More than 55 prisoners have escaped from a jail in the north-west of Uganda in Adjumani during a storm on Sunday, prison officials have confirmed.

They took advantage of the noise to break down a wall in the third jailbreak of its kind in as many weeks.

Authorities have not ruled out the complicity of wardens, but say six escapees have been recaptured.

More than 400 inmates escaped last month as guards celebrated President Yoweri Museveni's election victory.

The Uganda Prisoners Aid Foundation says it is not surprised by the jailbreaks as it says there are not enough prison wardens.

The BBC's Will Ross in Kampala says most of Uganda's 20,000 prison population live in overcrowded conditions.

Senior assistant commissioner for Uganda's prisons, Mary Kaddu, says one reason for the recent escapes may be that many accused of capital offences have been waiting for a long time to go on trial.

"For the last three years the High Court has not sat [in Adjumani] and there is a shortage of judges," she told the BBC's Focus on Africa programme.

Of Uganda's prison population arrested on capital offences, 40% of them are accused of defilement, our correspondent says.