The Department of Correctional Services has raised concern over the continued congestion of prisons in the country attributing it to frequent case adjournments, delays and unfair bond terms among others.
State Department for Correctional Services Principal Secretary Dr Salome Muhia while acknowledging the concern said that they are working with various stakeholders including the Judiciary to find a lasting solution.
Speaking during a visit at the Thika Main Prison, the PS said the decongestion will be periodic, citing last year when they released 4,000 inmates, the highest number released over the years adding that another 200 files are currently under review by the Director of Public prosecutions (DPP) and once concluded, the inmates will also be released to the community.
She added that they are also engaging the police and the community by ensuring petty cases are addressed through Alternative Dispute Resolution mechanisms (ADR).
“Most of our prisons remain congested due to the many remand cases waiting to go through the court process. Others are due to the unaffordable bond terms as well as petty cases that can be resolved through ADR. These are areas that the department is engaging the Judiciary on to ease pressures on our facilities,” Dr Muhia said.
She added that they are also working on improving the prison environment to make it more habitable and humane.
In the Thika Prison, she said, they have constructed 60 new housing units for the prison staff, which will help improve their living conditions and support better management of the facility.
This, she said, was part of a broader effort to reform the correctional services sector and ensure that it aligns with the government’s vision for inclusive and sustainable development.
During the visit, the inmates shared multiple grievances including unfair bond terms, frequent adjournments of their cases, and congestion in the prisons.
To effectively address congestion at the Thika Prison, Kiambu County government had promised to allocate part of the Delmonte land that was ceded to the county last year in Thika East Sub County to have the prison relocated.
Though plans are underway, the PS said they were waiting for the government’s directive on the same, but added that they were keen to develop the existing facilities to make them efficient in their operations.
– Muoki Charles
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