Commissioner General for prison services Wycliffe Ogalo has vowed to end crime related activities within the facilities during his tenure.
Ogalo said his department has put measures in place to ensure all crimes ranging from cyber crime to drug smuggling to prisons comes to an end.
He noted that many Kenyans have fallen prey of con activities which are traced way back to prisons.
“I want to make drastic changes in the prison services to end all the crimes which are associated with inmates. Many Kenyans have been duped into conning games which are traced back to the prisons, drugs have been smuggled into the correctional centers making the facilities lose their purpose,” he said.
He warned prisons officers who may be found involving themselves in promoting the vices with severe punishment.
“We want to bring sanity in the facilities and this should serve as a warning to those officials who may be found promoting the illegal activities within the prison of dire consequences, we must clean the image of the service and also protect the innocent Kenyans from these irresponsible behaviors by our inmates,” he added.
The Commissioner General is in a three day tour in Nyanza region where he is set to visit all prisons to monitor their progress and service delivery.
He was speaking in Nyamira Wednesday where he inspected the ongoing construction of Esianyi Prison in North Mugirango Constituency.
He pledged to ensure the project, which had stalled for lack of finances, is finished to decongest other neighboring facilities.
“I am going to ensure a budget is set aside for the completion of the facility in due time so as our other facilities around are not overcrowded,” he said.
Esianyi Prison is projected to cost Ksh. 52M where only Ksh. 16M has been availed with a quarter of it done.