All Prison Staff, Inmates Almost Fully Vaccinated As Government Prepares To Resume Family Visitation

KISII,Kenya, Oct, 15 – The country’s correctional facilities are expected to resume inmate visitation more than one year since a ban was instituted at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The move, officials at the correctional facilities said was necessitated by a need to combat the spread of the deadly virus which would have proved difficult to contain at the inception of the pandemic due to challenges of sanitation and social distancing requirements as advised by the Ministry of Health.

Since the pandemic struck the country, at least 14 inmates have lost their lives according to recent statistics.

At the height of the pandemic, officials say, between four and five thousand inmates were put in quarantine facilities.

The road to re-opening prisons for visitations according to Ministry of Interior Chief Administrative Secretary Winnie Guchu has been prioritized as part of the measure to address cases of mental health concerns in correctional facilities.

Speaking in Kisii prison during monitoring of the exercise which began on Tuesday, Guchu said that  that 80 to 90 per cent of the inmates and staff have been vaccinated nationally.

“When prisons were closed to visitors, it was causing stress and instability among the inmates. We want to complete the exercise and open up” She said.

The Kenya Prisons Service has since moved forward with plans to put in place mechanisms that will ease the visitation process.

The correctional facility says that adequate space is also available as authorities seek to enforce social distance guidelines across the its various facilities.

“The county government and the ministry of health have been supportive in the vaccination. That is why the uptake of the vaccine is high in the Facilities,”

The vaccination drive will target at least 50,000 inmates and 48,000 prison staff.

During a previous interview with Shahidi News, Deputy Commissioner of Prisons Florence Omondi said the move is timely and necessary since inmates have also endured mental health challenges as a result of the deprived visits.

“Mental health is very important and we have realized because of the lockdown and lack of visitation our inmates have been affected negatively. It is important they connect with their families and we welcome the move on mental health. Prisoners are people too and they experience the same challenges we do when we do not interact with our family members,” Florence Omondi, Deputy Commissioner General of Prisons said.