DR CONGO · PRISONS
Key Facts
- —What is happening Justice Minister Guillaume Ngefa suspended new admissions to Makala central prison in Kinshasa by a circular dated Wednesday, 21 October, allowing only duly justified judicial exceptions.
- —Why it matters Makala holds about 10.8 times the number of people it was designed for, so the pause forces Kinshasa’s courts and prosecutors to handle new arrests differently.
- —The numbers The prison was designed for 1,500 people and now holds 16,155, including 303 women and 201 minors, which is about 14,655 above its capacity.
- —Who is who Guillaume Ngefa is DR Congo’s Minister of State for Justice, and Makala is the central prison of the capital, Kinshasa.
- —What to watch Watch whether the ministry sets an end date, which exceptions courts grant, and whether releases and transfers bring the 16,155 figure down.
- —What it means for you No US rule changes and the circular does not mention foreigners, but it is a gauge of detention conditions and judicial capacity in Kinshasa.
DR Congo has suspended new admissions to Makala central prison in Kinshasa, citing severe overcrowding. The prison holds 16,155 detainees, about 10.8 times its design capacity of 1,500.
DR Congo’s government has suspended new admissions to Makala central prison in Kinshasa, citing severe overcrowding. Justice Minister Guillaume Ngefa’s ministry dated the circular Wednesday, 21 October, and it became public on Thursday, 22 October.
The prison was designed for 1,500 people and now holds 16,155 detainees, according to the ministry’s communiqué. That is about 10.8 times its design capacity, and the total includes 303 women and 201 minors in conflict with the law.
The measure is described as provisional and carries no end date. Only exceptions that are duly justified, and ordered on judicial grounds, allow a new detainee to enter.
What the Makala Prison Circular Says
The Justice Ministry issued communiqué number 0038 and circular number 004, both dated 21 October 2026, according to 7sur7.cd. The circular calls the suspension an exceptional and provisional measure.
Radio Okapi, a Congolese radio and news site, says the circular reached its newsroom and calls it an urgent interim measure. It says the text is addressed to the prosecutors’ offices and courts of Kinshasa.
The ministry gives security, health and humanitarian reasons for the pause. Radio Okapi says it states that overcrowding compromises access to basic health care, food and hygiene.
The legal basis cited is Law number 23/028 of 15 June 2023, on the basic principles of the prison regime. The ministry adds that it will continue decongestion work and improve detention conditions.
How Crowded Is Makala Prison
The 16,155 figure comes from the ministry’s own communiqué, as carried by 7sur7.cd and Radio Okapi. Both outlets give 1,500 as the design capacity.
The gap is 14,655 people, so nearly 11 detainees are held for every person the prison was built for. Radio Okapi says the women’s count is 303 and the count of minors is 201.
A week earlier the count was slightly higher. On Thursday, 15 October, during the minister’s visit, prison director André Kanza wa Kanza gave 16,238 detainees, Radio Okapi reported.
More than 11,000 of those detainees were in pre-trial detention, which means about two thirds were still awaiting trial. The same visit identified 108 detainees for possible release after individual case reviews.
The two counts differ by 83 people, and neither outlet explains the gap. Radio Okapi says some symbolic releases took place among the 108 during the visit.
The minister’s delegation found deteriorated buildings and difficult access to health care, Radio Okapi says. Some women detainees told the minister that eight of them shared one bed.
A Second Admission Pause in Eight Months
This is not the first time Ngefa has closed the gate. On Saturday, 14 February 2026, he suspended all new admissions to Makala after cholera cases among detainees.
That circular cited five deaths since 12 February, Actualite.cd reported. It said the national biomedical research institute, INRB, had confirmed 13 positive cases among 17 samples.
The February text applied until further notice and also limited visits. On Tuesday, 17 February, the Court of Cassation’s prosecutor general ordered 125 detainees released, judicial sources told Radio Okapi.
The outlets read do not say whether the February ban was ever lifted. They also do not say how it relates to the new circular.
In November 2025 the Fondation Bill Clinton pour la Paix, an organisation led by Emmanuel Cole, counted 11,404 detainees at Makala. It cited overcrowding, malnutrition and slow court procedures, Le Potentiel reported.
If both counts are accurate, the population grew by about 42% in under a year. The two figures come from different counters, so the comparison is only a rough guide.
The prison was also the scene of a deadly night on Sunday 1 to Monday 2 September 2024. Interior Minister Jacquemain Shabani put the toll from what the government called an escape attempt at 129.
Government spokesman Patrick Muyaya later cited 131 deaths, most from suffocation in a stampede, Le Potentiel reported. The newspaper noted that investigators had yet to establish the circumstances.
What It Means for US Readers
No US agency has commented on the circular in the outlets read. The text does not mention foreigners, visitors or consular cases.
For US readers the story is a gauge of detention conditions and judicial capacity in Kinshasa, the capital of DR Congo. A figure of 16,155 detainees in a prison built for 1,500 is the kind of number that rights groups and diplomats track.
Anyone following a case in the capital should note that new detention at Makala now needs a justified exception. Where other new detainees would be held instead is not stated.
What Is Not Known
No end date is given, and neither source says how many exceptions may be granted. How a judge requests or records a derogation is not described.
The sources do not say where new arrests in Kinshasa will be held during the pause. They also do not say whether transfers to other prisons have begun.
The government says it will speed up judicial clearance, conditional release and transfers, but it lists no figures or dates. The ministry’s count of 16,155 differs from the 16,238 given a week earlier, and the reason is not stated.
Radio Okapi does not name the minister in its text, while 7sur7.cd names Ngefa and gives the circular numbers. No reaction from prosecutors, lawyers or rights groups had been found in the outlets read by Thursday evening.
What Comes Next
The ministry says it will continue decongestion work, including faster judicial clearance, conditional release and transfers. The visit of 15 October already set up health-based reviews by the prison director and a doctor for possible humanitarian release.
The step to watch is a follow-up communiqué that sets a duration or lifts the pause. Neither source says the measure is permanent.
Frequently Asked Questions
What did DR Congo decide about Makala prison?
The government suspended new admissions to Makala central prison in Kinshasa by a circular dated Wednesday, 21 October. Only duly justified judicial exceptions are allowed.
What is Makala prison?
Makala is the central prison of Kinshasa, the capital of DR Congo. It was designed for 1,500 people and holds 16,155, according to the ministry.
How long will the suspension last?
The ministry calls the measure provisional but gives no end date. Neither Radio Okapi nor 7sur7.cd reports a duration.
Has Makala suspended admissions before?
Yes, on Saturday, 14 February 2026, Minister Guillaume Ngefa suspended all new admissions after cholera cases. Five deaths since 12 February were cited at the time.
Does the measure affect foreigners or US citizens?
The circular is addressed to Congolese prosecutors and courts and does not mention foreigners. No US government comment had been found by Thursday evening.
Sources: Radio Okapi, 22 October 2026; 7sur7.cd, 22 October 2026; Radio Okapi, 16 October 2026; Actualite.cd, 14 February 2026; Radio Okapi via AllAfrica, 18 February 2026; Le Potentiel, 20 November 2025; Le Potentiel, 11 September 2024 (all accessed 22 October 2026).
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief
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