Vihiga prison is among those considered for an upgrade as two structures at the facility are set to be completed, according to the Assistant commissioner in the Kenya prisons department Jacob Ikumiru.
According to Ikumiru the facility is among the six in the country that his department has plans in place for their completion in time to avert congestion
The facility which hosts over a hundred inmates has few structures to accommodate enough inmates and has forced the department to transfer some inmates to other facilities in the neighboring Counties.
Speaking during a remote parenting ceremony at the facility where inmates had a chance to interact with their family members and friends, Ikumiru said two structures are under construction.
Ikumiru said the institution would be expanded to accommodate enough inmates to reduce expense and risk that may be caused as a result of ferrying inmates from the prison to Kodiaga in Kisumu County.
The two jail structures will be constructed to accommodate a larger number of inmates from the County and other areas in the region.
Meanwhile, Ikumiru said that the prisons department has started building structures outside jail premises to accommodate released inmates who are rejected by family members and society.
The officer said most inmates released from jail have been rejected and are forced to return back despite having ended their jail terms due to societal stigma.
“We are building structures outside the jail compound to welcome back those rejected by their families,” he said.
Most of the ex-convicts leave prison with skills in many areas ranging from carpentry, metalwork, and construction but lack necessary tools of work to start working and earn a living.
“Most ex-convicts have skills but find it hard to start a new life due to lack of necessary tools for work,” he said.
The ceremony was organized by the officer in charge of the facility, Beverly Ambaya, and was meant to give the inmates a chance to interact with their family members.
Ambaya said the facility will always put the needs of the inmates first and ensure when they leave the facility they will be accepted in the society and will be assisted to start a new life.
