This archive report was first published on 29 October 2021.
Prison Visits Resume in Kenya After Uhuru Lifts Covid-19 Ban ¶
President Uhuru Kenyatta has lifted a ban on prison visitation in Kenya, which had been in place since March 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The decision was announced during a pass-out ceremony for prison cadets at Ruiru, where the President stated that the prison departments had attained a 90 per cent vaccination rate for inmates and 80 per cent for officers.
According to the President, the decision to lift the ban was anchored on the fact that the prison departments had achieved a high vaccination rate, allowing for the safe resumption of visitation. He directed that the ban be lifted and that people be allowed to visit their loved ones under strict guidelines.
During the ceremony, the President also launched a prison hospital to cater to the physical and mental health needs of officers, inmates, and their families. The hospital is expected to be completed in April next year.
Furthermore, the President ordered the development of a policy to safeguard the health and education of children of incarcerated parents. He emphasized the need to support these children to enhance their holistic development through education, providing them with a stable, safe, secure, stimulating, and nurturing environment.
Additionally, the President noted that the correctional services in Kenya have been previously seen as punitive rather than supportive. He stated that enabling education facilities in prisons for the training of inmates and equipping them with skills to deter reoffending would address this issue.
Prisoners Engaging in Work in prison in Kwale County in January 2019.
