It was all smiles at Kathwana GK prison after a group of interdenominational members from various churches teamed up to donate foodstuff and hygiene products to prisoners in the correctional facility.
The items which included tissue paper, soaps, bread and sodas were presented to the inmates through senior superintendent of prisons Kiprotich Baraiyo, officer in charge at Chuka prison in Tharaka Nithi County.
Speaking at the correctional facility, one of the group members, Ephatus Kariuki, said that it was important to show love to the prisoners as members of the community to help them through the rehabilitation process.
He revealed that one of their missions as a group was to preach and give hope to inmates as well as educate them on good hygiene as a preventive measure of diseases.
“One of the major causes of diseases is poor hygiene and sanitation. We want to teach inmates how to maintain good hygiene and cleanliness in the prison and on themselves,” he said.
One of the functions of the church, Kariuki noted, is to supplement the work of the government in the community through helping the vulnerable.
The group called upon well- wishers in the county to offer support to prisoners across the region.
On his part, Supt. Baraiyo thanked the group for their kindness noting that the donation would motivate the prisoners and boost cleanliness in the facility.
He lauded the gestures by the well- wishers saying it would go a long way in improving the current state of the prison.
Kariuki said that in collaboration with Chuka law courts, they were working on reducing the number of inmates in the facility noting that pettiest cases could be solved in courts.
Kariuki noted that alcohol use was very high in the county together with rape and drug abuse, they were major contributors to the high number of prisoners.
“Over 50 per cent of the cases here come from sexual offences, defilement and attempted rape with major cause being drug abuse,” he said.
The superintendent disclosed that in order to reduce the rate of such crimes in the region, they would work together with Members of County Assembly (MCAs) to educate youths on the effects of drug abuse.
“We need to visit youths in their homestead to figure out the problem so as to reduce the abuse of drugs thus reducing crime in the area,” he said.
By Sharon Gitau
