This archive report was first published on 30 September 2019.
On September 30, 2019, a tense situation unfolded at Kamiti Maximum Prison in Nairobi when a group of inmates refused to be searched for contraband items. The incident began when warders conducted an impromptu search, prompting the inmates to protest and eventually attack the officers.
According to Kenya Prisons spokesperson Dickson Mwakazi, the prisoners initially refused to take their breakfast, which included porridge, as they protested the search operation. The situation escalated when the inmates became rowdy and attacked the warders, prompting authorities to take control.
Witnesses reported that the inmates were locked in their cells as authorities took charge of the situation. The incident was eventually brought under control, but not before some warders were put on riot gear and gunshots were heard from the facility.
This is the latest in a series of incidents at the country's largest jail. In 2014, prisoners attempted to escape from the facility following a search for contraband items, and warders were forced to shoot in the air to disperse the group.
