LEGAL aid stakeholders have been urged to take part in providing judicial support to prisoners and remandees to maintain human dignity and self-respect.

Charles Nsanze, director of the Department of Community Services Supervision from the Ministry of Home Affairs, made the call in Dar es Salaam recently during the second UtuKwanza Marathon dubbed: #Togetherinaction.

He said for a long time UtuKwanza-NGO has been aiding a hand to support prisoners, prisons infrastructure to help the marginalised groups, hence a call to other stakeholders to join the move.

“Utu Kwanza have worked in pursuit to preserve human dignity and self-respect by primarily supporting prisoners and other disadvantaged communities, I urge law stakeholders to see the need to support the move to maintain human dignity and self-respect,” he said.

According to him, there is a time when prisoners will return home after they have served their full sentence and lack capital, psychological support and other needed resources hence asking more law stakeholders to aid a hand of support.

Shehzada Walli, Utu Kwanza chairman said the 60 kilometers, beginning in Bagamoyo town, Coast Region, and concluding in Dar es Salaam marathon, was set to raise funds to support the provision of legal assistance to marginalised detainees and remanded inmates.

“This is the longest race organized by our firm to date, aimed at supporting those who need bail before they face remand or the fifteen-day expiration period,” Walli said.

He said Utu Kwanza’s legal aid desk operates with a legal empowerment approach, focusing on providing detainees and remanded inmates with essential legal information and education. 

The firm’s goal is to reduce unnecessary remand and improve legal awareness and empowerment among marginalized communities.

Since its inception in 2018, Utu Kwanza has assisted over 150 marginalised inmates in Kinondoni District, Dar es Salaam, who faced various criminal charges. The organization aims to raise nearly $100,000 by December 2024 to expand its legal aid desk services to the Kariakoo Primary Court, the Resident Magistrate Court at Kisutu, and the District Court at Ilala by the end of this year.