The Kenya Prisons Service has released 3,837 prisoners and remandees in a bid to contain Covid-19.
All of those released on Thursday had committed petty crimes.
According to the Commissioner General of Prisons Wycliffe Ogalo, the list comprises 898 who have already served the entirety of their respective jail terms, 2,267 who had their sentences revised, and 627 who have been freed after their bail or bond terms were reviewed by Magistrates Courts.
"These measures have been taken in line with the understanding that close and unprotected interaction and contact between individuals is the single-most contributory factor for the spread of COVID-19," Ogalo said in a statement on Thursday.
"The decision is thus aimed at achieving the recommended one-metre social distancing within our facilities as part of the progressive review of our strategies in combating the global pandemic".
The release has also been approved by the National Council on the Administration of Justice (NCAJ.
This follows a directive by the Judiciary for petty offenders in jail or remand be freed to forestall any risk of coronavirus outbreak in the prisons.
On March 24, 67 petty offenders were released in Kilifi county.
Justice Reuben Nyakundi of the Malindi Law Courts ordered the release of the offenders after reviewing their files.
The Judiciary said in its social media that the move was part of efforts to decongest the prisons to mitigate the Covid-19 outbreak of.
On Monday, 23 inmates accused of petty offences from Wundanyi GK Prison were also released.
Judge Farah Amin released the 20 men and three women on recommendations of Wundanyi resident magistrate Emily Nyakundi.
