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Prisons boss raises concern over high rate of Covid-19 infection among inmates


Kenya Prisons Service Commissioner General Wycliffe Ogallo has raised concerns over the rate at which inmates in various prisons are testing positive to Covid-19.

In a statement sent to media houses on Sunday, Ogallo said that a total of 31 samples out of 59 samples had tested positive for the disease.

He said that the Kenya Prisons Service was doing all it takes to deal with the situation so that it doesn’t get out of hand.

“As we fight against the Covid-19 virus the Kenya Prison Service (KPS) continues to take appropriate preventive measures to stop the spread of the virus across all the 129 correctional facilities across the country,” Ogallo said.

The 31 samples that have been confirmed positive are from Nairobi and Ogallo said that the Nairobi County Emergency Response Team promptly moved in and evacuated the patients to various treatment centres for case management.

According to the prisons boss, the department has released 11,000 petty offenders and convicts who had fully served their jail terms.

He said that they were still considering many factors that will ensure the spread of the disease within the Kenyan prisons is curbed.