The audit established among others that inmates, staff, and communities neighbouring Migori GK Prison are exposed to contagious and waterborne diseases.
This is following the poor sanitation and lack of water at the correctional facility, with the existing supplies declared unfit for human consumption.
National Environmental Management Authority and Public Health inspectors declared the water drawn from a well that serves as the main source as unfit for human consumption.
The facility also obtains water from roof catchment with storage reservoirs during the rainy seasons.
“Reports by Public Health and Nema inspectors respectively indicate that the available source of water for drinking and general use was noncompliant with national standards for safety,” the report by Auditor General Nancy Gathungu reads.
The squalid conditions, which headlined the Kenya Prisons audit, were also flagged at the Nairobi Medium and Nairobi Remand Area prisons.
Buildings at the two facilities were found to be poorly maintained, some with leaking roofs.
Gathungu said an inspection by her team in September 2022 revealed that the Nairobi Medium Security Prison had inadequate office accommodation for staff.
The prison has three rooms utilised by the officer in charge, general office, and accounts.
“It was also observed that the floors to the prisoners’ wards are dilapidated with rough floors, potholes, dirty marks on the walls with some sections of the roof leaking when it rains,” the auditor said.
Further to this, the prison did not have budget for repairs and maintenance of building, purchase of generator, and installation of CCTV cameras for monitoring activities within the prisons.
“In the circumstances, lack of adequate budget provision may lead to further deterioration of prisons assets and inefficient service delivery,” Gathungu said.
Migori prison is holding approximately 700 inmates and 230 members of staff, according to an audit verification done last October.
The audit for the Correctional Services department for the year ending June 30, 2022 has also revealed that the prison does not have appropriate safeguards for waste water management.
“In the circumstances, the inmates, staff and the community may be exposed to contagious and other water borne diseases,” Gathungu said.
The auditor in the new report before Parliament also flagged several irregularities in the management of the prison facilities.
Top among the queries is about stalled projects valued Sh116 million which have since gobbled Sh21.8 million with no proper work done and no budget for their completion.
“Physical inspection at various sampled correctional facilities revealed abandoned projects at different levels of completion in nine correctional facilities,” Gathungu said.
“In the circumstances, and with lack of adequate budgetary allocation, it was not possible to confirm that these projects will be completed in time to deliver the intended services and value for money.”
The audit has further revealed that the department did not remit Sh265 million PAYE deductions to the Kenya Revenue Authority.
Gathungu said it was uncertain the money would be paid, revealing that the National Treasury declined the request.
“Although management had requested for funds from the National Treasury for settlement of the debts owed to KRA, the National Treasury had declined the request,” the auditor said.
It has also emerged that the prisons are grappling with a Sh65 million debt relating to 28 cases that were determined against the department but are yet to be settled.
“Although there were no active appeals filed against the court’s determination, management did not provide any evidence on the measure being taken to clear these outstanding liabilities.”
Also flagged are payments to the tune of Sh207 million which auditors said couldn’t be confirmed.
A review of IFMIS payments reports processed against the payments made in bank revealed 605 transactions which were paid in bank but not captured in IFMIS payment details.
“In the circumstances, it the propriety, accuracy and completeness of the payments of Sh207,096,701 could not be confirmed,” the auditor said.
