Huge number of prisoners to be pardoned - Kindiki

By Peter Ochieng

Kenyans should look forward to witnessing a huge number of prisoners being pardoned in the coming months.

According to Professor Abraham Kithure Kindiki, Cabinet Secretary (CS) for Interior, presidential power of mercy is one of the strategies the Kenya Kwanza administration will use to decongest prisons across the country.

“In the coming months, the Head of State will be announcing huge number of inmates to be pardoned,” said Kindiki on Monday.

He spoke during a visit to the Mwea GK prison, in Kirinyaga County.

The CS said most prisoners are young people who should eventually leave prisons and participate in nation building.

Prisons should not be hell. It should be a place of reforms and rehabilitation.

"Most of the inmates are young people and we look forward to you leaving prisons, reformed appropriately so that you participate in nation building.”

The former Tharaka Nithi Senator said as things stand now, Kenyan prisons are a recipe for disaster due to overcrowding.

“What we are having is disastrous. We have almost double the capacity than our prisons are supposed to hold. And it is not fair,” said the CS.

“I want to assure you of my support to make sure that we engage with the judiciary and other stakeholders in the administration of justice to make sure that we reduce congestion in prisons by 50 per cent,” added the CS.

In addition, the CS said his ministry will seek for partnerships with the private sector, to implement the ‘one prisoner, one bed, one mattress initiative, besides seeing to it that each inmate has two pairs of uniforms.

"We will source for money to ensure every prisoner has two pairs of uniforms. Kitting the inmates will help them live in dignity. We will also provide new uniforms to our prisons staff.”

He said the government will spend Sh2 billion to mechanise all prison farms countrywide that have arable land.