Residents were seen watching in shock as security operatives pursued the inmates.
At least one army soldier was reportedly shot dead in a heated fire exchange with the escapees.
More than 200 prisoners have escaped from a jail in Moroto, north-eastern Uganda, bringing the local town to a standstill while security forces try to track them down.
In a bizarre twist, the Singila Prison inmates are said to have taken off their distinctive yellow uniforms and fled naked into the hills to avoid detection.