A report by the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) has exposed the sad state in which the Shakahola suspects are being subjected to in prison.
According to the report dubbed “Mashaka ya Shakahola”, only Paul Mackenzie who is the mastermind of the massacre had a mattress and a blanket at the Malindi GK prison where they were detained.
“The rest of the suspects were sleeping on bare concrete floors with neither blankets nor mattresses,” it states.
The findings in the report came after a visit by the commission to the facility.
The prison, KNCHR said, was also overcrowded holding 850 prisoners against a recommended capacity of 650 prisoners.
Prison authorities, however, explained to the Commission that it was facing various challenges, especially on supplies leading to over 30 percent of the prisoners going without uniforms, mattresses, and blankets.
“The prison authorities further informed the Commission that they were struggling to ensure all the prisoners are adequately fed with the limited food supplies,” it adds.
In its recommendations, the Commission has now challenged the commissioner general of prisons to ensure the Shakahola suspects held in custody are treated humanely and their rights are upheld in line with the law.
It further wants KNHCR to be given unconditional access to the suspects held in prison including information that is necessary in the discharge of its Constitutional mandate.
The report notes that officials from the Commission experienced challenges in accessing suspects in the facility.
“The Commission was prohibited from accessing the survivors and suspects in the rescue centers and Shimo la Tewa prison,” it reads.
