Correctional Services PS Mary Muthoni has announced that the government has managed to contain the cholera outbreak that was reported at Thika GK Prison in Kiambu County.
The cholera outbreak at the prison affected 38 prisoners in the last one week with the state department opting to relocate some inmates from the overcrowded Thika GK Prison.
PS Muthoni revealed that the prison was holding 1,200 inmates yet its capacity was 500 hence the decision to relocate some of them to the Yatta, Ruiru and Murang’a prisons.
Speaking after touring the penal facility on Wednesday, the PS congestion at the facility made it difficult to contain the cholera outbreak faster hence the move to decongest it.
“We have managed to contain the disease. From the over 38 inmates who contracted the virus over the past one week, only seven are still sick. The remaining 30 are stable. However, one is critical and is hospitalized,” said Muthoni.
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She reaffirmed the government’s commitment to implement a decongestion programme in all penal institution across the country to ensure all inmates in the institutions live decently.
Muthoni revealed that the prison will disinfect the cells regularly, test inmates and warders regularly, create isolation centers, provide sufficient water and storage facilities, and work with the judiciary to decongest prisons by limiting the number of offenders sent to jail.
She added that the inmates and prison staff will also be sensitized on personal hygiene, regular handwashing and how to keep their environment within the prison walls cleaner.
“We also ask the prison management to ensure a high level of hygiene and water flow at the facility. They should also liaise with the local water distributing company Thiwasco to ensure they don’t ration the commodity,” she concluded.
The PS has been touring Kenya Prison Services prison facilities across the country to address the plight of inmates and warders as part of the ongoing prison reforms programme.
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