This archive report was first published on 6 August 2020.
As the Covid-19 pandemic continues to spread, health officials are facing a daunting task in containing the virus within congested prisons across the country.
According to reports, court proceedings have been disrupted in various parts of the country due to the rising number of Covid-19 cases in correctional facilities.
One of the worst-hit areas is Migori County, where 96 infections have been reported at the Migori GK Prison.
Health officials have attributed the rise in Covid-19 cases to congestion in correctional facilities, with the Nyanza Regional Prisons Commander, Hassan Bugu, stating that they have set aside quarantine and isolation blocks across the region in Migori, Kisii, and Kisumu as part of measures to curb the spread of Covid-19.
At the Kakamega Law Courts, criminal proceedings have been suspended for 14 days after prosecutors and staff at the Western region Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions tested positive for Covid-19.
Senior Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions, Patrick Gumo, said that staff at the Kakamega County office, including the prosecution counsel, had been tested for coronavirus and found to be positive.
"In view of the above and in line with the MoH guidelines, all our staff at the county office are advised to stay under self-quarantine for a period of 14 days starting August 6, 2020. As a result, criminal proceedings at Kakamega Law Courts will be disrupted during that period due to unavailability of prosecutors. We regret the inconvenience," said Mr. Gumo.
Maureen Odeck, the Chairperson of the Law Society of Kenya in Kakamega, expressed surprise at the news and wished her colleagues in the prosecution well.
Reports indicate that the prosecutors could have been infected with Covid-19 after coming into contact with suspects during criminal proceedings in court.
Ms. Odeck noted that the remandees had been brought to court within the set 24-hour period, which could have exposed them to the infection.
She added that proper measures should be taken to enhance protection for all those attending court sessions.
Meanwhile, in Migori County, the Health Executive, Isca Oluoch, said that focus is now shifting to police cells, where three suspects who were being held at Awendo Police Station tested positive for Covid-19.
Dr. Oluoch attributed the rise in Covid-19 cases to congestion at the correctional facilities and local transmissions.
"Our main challenge is containing local transmissions in police cells and the prisons, which is currently posing a big threat to the fight against the virus," he said.
Dr. Oluoch ruled out the possibility of cross-border transmissions, noting that all the cases witnessed in the recent past originated from within the county.
Similar measures are being applied at the Homa Bay Police Station, where a quarantine centre has been established at the main prison to protect serving inmates from contracting Covid-19 from new inmates.
County Prisons Commander, Beverlyne Lungatso, said that new inmates must undergo Covid-19 tests, which must be negative, before they join the rest of the prisoners.
Ms. Lungatso added that police officers no longer pick suspects from the prison to courts, and that inmates are required to sanitise their hands before boarding the vehicle back to the prison.
Several hand washing and sanitising materials have been put in most corners of the prisons to protect inmates.
Similar measures are being applied at the Homa Bay Police Station.
Operations at the Bondo Law Courts have been affected after five police officers tested positive for the coronavirus.
Three of them are from Bondo Police Station, while two are from Rarieda Sub-County.
The cases were picked in a targeted testing following the OCPD’s death.
