Kenya’s correctional facilities are facing a worsening health crisis, with plans underway to ensure that all inmates are fully enrolled in the Social Health Authority (SHA) by December.
Speaking in Meru during the 4th edition of the Jamii Imara Mashinani initiative, Principal Secretary for Correctional Services, Salome Beacco, raised alarm over the growing disease burden in prisons. She revealed that sexual offences accounting for over 40% of prison cases are a major driver of congestion and related health challenges.
Beacco noted that Meru County has now overtaken the Nyanza region as the national leader in HIV prevalence, with more than 1,000 registered sexual offenders. “Almost 40 percent of the problems I have are due to sexual offences – rape, sodomy, gender-based violence. My prisons are overcrowded, overfilled, and this brings other problems,” she said, warning that the conditions heighten the spread of communicable diseases.
The PS called for fresh approaches to addressing gender-based violence (GBV) at the community level, emphasizing that prevention would help reduce congestion in prisons and improve public health outcomes.
Her counterpart in Public Health and Professional Standards, Mary Muthoni, urged Kenyans to register for the SHA scheme, assuring that the government is expanding health services. She highlighted early cancer screening as a priority, promising to work with county governments to bring services closer to local communities.
Muthoni also expressed concern over the rising cases of drug and substance abuse among the youth, particularly the growing use of electronic gadgets laced with illegal drugs.
Meru leaders, including Imenti North MP Rahim Dawood, echoed the calls, noting that tackling health risks within prisons and addressing youth substance abuse are critical to safeguarding Kenya’s future.
The nationwide enrollment of inmates into SHA is expected to ease the health burden in correctional facilities and ensure more equitable access to essential services.
