Kampala — A week since the Court of Appeal granted him bail, Teddy Seezi Cheeye, 51 remains in Luzira Prison after failing to raise sh60m to pay for bail.

"He has not got the money to deposit for bail yet. Until he executes that, he is still our prisoner," the Commissioner General of Prisons, Johnson Byabashaija, said yesterday, adding that Cheeye is well and exercises frequently.

Cheeye, who was granted bail last Friday, is waiting for the hearing of his appeal against the conviction by the High Court for embezzling the Global Fund money, meant for HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis patients.

He was ordered to serve 10 years for embezzlement concurrently with six other three-year jail terms for forgery. The High Court also ordered him to pay back sh110m.

However, in his appeal, Cheeye maintains that he was not personally responsible for the loss of the money. If his appeal fails, he will have to serve the jail term and pay the money.

Meanwhile, during his visit to Luzira Prison on Tuesday, the internal affairs state minister, Matia Kasaija, held private talks with Cheeye. The minister also toured the carpentry and tailoring sections of the prison that offer services and produce a variety of items for sale.

The two sections also serve as training centres for convicted male inmates. Kasaija said he was impressed by the work done.

The officer in-charge of Luzira Upper Prison, Robert Munanura, informed the minister that in addition to vocational training, the department also enrolled prisoners for formal education from Primary One to Senior Six.

Byabashaija said the training was aimed at equipping the inmates with skills so that they can sustain themselves when they leave prison. He also revealed that the first batch of Ugandan prisoners deported by the UK was expected in the country by the end of this year.

He said the prisons department would have completed the necessary arrangements to have the Ugandans serve their sentences here. The transfer of inmates from the UK to Uganda was agreed by the two countries in June, following the signing of the Prisoners Transfer Agreement.

Under the agreement, the deporting country meets the costs of transferring the inmates.