- Kodiaga (now Kisumu Maximum Prison) system will be renovated at a cost of Sh34 million.
- The Kibos upgrade will cost Sh8 million.
Image: MAURICE ALAL
The sewerage systems at Kodiaga and Kibos prisons in Kisumu will be expanded in a bid to stop the pollution of water bodies.
The two correctional facilities have been identified as some of the pollutants of Lake Victoria and River Saka.
Residents have accused the two of emitting raw sewage into rivers Saka and Kibos, which they depend on for water for domestic use.
The upgrade will cost Sh42 million. The Kodiaga (now Kisumu Maximum Prison) system will be renovated at a cost of Sh34 million while the Kibos upgrade will cost Sh8 million.
Commissioner General of Prisons Wycliffe Ogalo said the facelift is part of sustainable measures to tackle pollution.
He said the increased number of inmates and staff together with their families has overwhelmed the existing sewerage systems.
The expansion works will include dislodging of lagoons, construction of sewer lines and manholes as well as putting up a fence around the facility.
“The money will be used to ensure that the facility is modernised to the required standards,” Ogalo said.
The Kodiaga sewerage system was built in 1961 for a population of 800 inmates and staff.
Kodiaga has three facilities—maximum, medium and women's prisons. Currently, the average prisoner population is 3,000, while staff and their families number 2,500.
Nyanza region prisons officer Nicholas Emaase said Kibos Prison has more than 1,500 inmates and over 1,000 staff, including their families.
CORONAVIRUS MEASURES
Meanwhile, the management of Kodiaga prison has put in place stringent measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus.
They include restricting visitors and limited interaction with inmates. Officer-in-charge George Diang'a said they have provided sanitisers and put up handwashing points.
He said officers manning gates have been given masks and gloves. Prisoners are no longer being taken to court as directed by the Judiciary.
“We have talked with inmates on the need to protect themselves and how. They have been informed to wash their hands, avoid close contact as well as shaking hands,” Diang'a said.
He said the inmates have been informed that the limitations are temporary and aimed at protecting them.
“Nobody is allowed inside the prisons before washing his or her hands. The number of visitors has also been reduced,” the officer said.
Diang'a urged staff to observe proper hygiene and ensure they wash or sanitise their hands frequently.
Edited by Josephine M. Mayuya