Catholic Church in conjunction with the probation and children’s departments are spearheading a programme that will see over 49 women released on community service order empowered with skills to do alternative business.
The 49 women are among 350 convicts put under the CSO programme in Trans Nzoia County, who were released to decongest prisons.
The programme dubbed ‘Mwendo’ will see 49 women who were convicted for brewing illicit brew imparted with entrepreneurship skills to enable them venture in to alternative economic activities under the economic empowerment initiative.
Trans Nzoia county probation officer Jane Mweja, while speaking in her office on Wednesday said the women will be given some money to help them start small business that will get them away from the illicit brews.
“We realized that most of the women found themselves on the wrong side of the law for venturing in to illicit brewing business just to fend for their families. That is why we want them to engage in legal businesses,” said the county probation director.
Speaking to KNA in his office, the county Children officer Aston Maungu said the women were put under the programme to safeguard the interests of their children who were worst hit when their mothers were put behind bars.
“The programme is aimed at ensuring that the women are able to provide for their young ones with food, shelter and education. Engaging in illicit brews will deprive their children of basic needs due to imprisonment,” said Mr. Maungu.
Maugu told KNA that assessment of individual needs of the women had begun, and money will be given according to each ones needs.
He added that the Catholic Church will give the funds to the women under the programme that will see them improve on their livelihoods.
Under the programme, the women will be expected to serve their sentence as they attend trainings so that “they balance their time to carry out duties assigned to them under the sentence, and also attend to their economic empowerment program”, said Mweje.
About 350 inmates from prisons in Kitale and another 150 from the Kapenguria GK prison were last week released to serve their remaining terms outside prison in an ongoing de-congestion exercise.
By Pauline Ikanda
