Prisons in the country are holding inmates more than double their capacity, the Departmental Committee on Justice and Legal Affairs of the National Assembly was told.
In his presentation to the committee, Commissioner General of Prisons John Kibaso Warioba said the accommodation capacity of Kenya Prisons Service stands at 28,000 against a population of 60,000 inmates.
“This has resulted in overcrowding in penal stations,” Warioda noted.
The Commissioner General of Prisons further noted that the service has only 7,000 decent housing units for its officers against a staff population of 32,000.
“This means that the majority of officers live away from their workstations. However, we need more officers to live within their workstation owing to the nature of our work,” he stated.
He was quick to point out that it is envisaged that the matter will be addressed by the 23-member task force appointed to oversee the improvement of reforms for members of the National Police Service and Kenya Prisons Service.
Warioda further noted that every officer is entitled to two sets of uniforms per annum at a cost of Sh35,000 per set.
“However, due to limited resources, the service has been perennially procuring few and inadequate sets of uniforms,” he said.
He added that there is also an acute shortage of uniforms for inmates due to budgetary constraints, escalating population and prices which has seen prisoners walk in tatters.
He said the office of the ombudsman has severally complained to the service about the deplorable state of prisoners’ uniforms which not only undermines their dignity and self-esteem but also poses a potential health risk to them.
