This archive report was first published on 18 July 2020.
Naivasha Maximum Security Prison, a maximum-security facility in Kenya, has reported its first coronavirus cases among prison officers. The news comes as the country continues to grapple with the spread of the virus.
According to reports, three male prison officers were placed in quarantine last week and received their positive test results on Monday, July 13, 2020. The officers have since been isolated in their homes, with two being confined to their houses and the third opting to self-isolate outside the prison facility.
The development has sparked panic among prison staff, with concerns that the number of cases may rise as more people who came into contact with the infected officers are tested.
Kenya has reported over 12,000 cases of coronavirus since the first case was reported in March. The government had initially restricted movement in and out of prison premises to reduce the risk of infection, but since President Uhuru Kenyatta relaxed movement restrictions, people have been allowed free movement in and out of the prison premises.
Other prisons in Kenya have also reported cases of coronavirus among inmates, including Nairobi Remand and Allocation Prison and Manyani Maximum Security Prison in Voi. At Nairobi Remand and Allocation Prison, 31 inmates tested positive, while one inmate at Manyani Maximum Security Prison tested positive after being transferred from Shimo la Tewa Prison.
