This archive report was first published on 29 September 2019.
Kenya Prisons Department Commissioner General Wycliffe Ogalo has announced a crackdown on rogue officers suspected of supplying drugs and cellphones to prisoners.
Speaking at Manyani Maximum-Security Prison on Saturday, Ogalo said the department is taking firm action against officers who collude with inmates to sneak in contraband goods.
He warned that anyone caught in such vice will face the full force of the law, and that six wardens have already been arraigned in court over such misconducts.
According to Ogalo, the department is working to rid itself of rogue elements and restore professionalism in correctional facilities.
He pointed out that the issue of inmates accessing hard drugs while in prison has been a constant headache for prison authorities, prompting an internal assessment to determine if the drugs were transported by officers mandated with reforming the inmates.
Recent cases include two wardens apprehended in August for attempting to sneak cocaine into the prison, and a woman arrested last week for trying to smuggle in cocaine concealed inside a bar of soap.
Despite these challenges, Ogalo said the prison facilities are witnessing positive change due to extensive reforms being carried out, including a prison decongestion program to ease overcrowding.
He added that the department is working with other agencies, including the judiciary, to reduce the inmates' population and address the congestion in Kenyan jails.
On the issue of pending bills incurred by prison facilities, Ogalo said all genuine bills will be honored, but the verification process has not interrupted the supply of goods and services to the facilities.
