Kenyan inmates have sued the government seeking to have their 20 cents daily pay increased.
The prisoners argue that the pay is too low and accuse the government of violating their constitutional rights by holding them in slavery and servitude.
They also protest delays in disbursement of their pay, noting that they have been forced to survive without necessary personal items such as bathing soap and toothpaste.
Inmates are supposed to receive the payment at the end of their jail terms although they are allowed to spend two-thirds of their earnings while in prison.
While prisoners with exemplary conduct and are skilled (Grade A) receive 20 cents daily pay, those in grade B (good conduct and semi-skilled) get 15 cents and 10 cents for those in grade C.
In court papers, the Commissioner General of Prisons Isaya Osugo says he has no powers to increase inmates’ wages.
He also states that prisoners are by law required to offer labor and their claim that they are being held in slavery and servitude doesn’t hold since they are serving sentences following convictions.
“As it is, prisons earning rates are a provision of the law and the commissioner does not have the mandate to amend, revise or vary the scheme as provided,” the Commissioner General of Prisons states in court papers.
They should first…
They should first APPEALtheir Prison time. After all they e
Eat for Free are Privileged to Watch TVs in Prison (while some Innocent poor people can’t afford such TVs Out here).
They put themselves in those…
They put themselves in those conditions.Save for some who are innocent.
The prison system should…
The prison system should provide them with soap and toothpaste for the sake of their health. Better yet they could make the two products for free if provided with raw materials. Prisons are not meant to be death camps but rehabilitation units so let us treat them with some dignity cos they will be back in the society hopefully not to cause more trouble.
You say “let us treat them…
You say “let us treat them with some DIGNITY cos they will be back in the society hopefully not to cause more trouble”? Some of these clowns Raped, Sodomized, Stole, and even Killed innocent people and you hope them Release (yet they VICTIMIZED so many). Wow!!!
If we start filling prisons…
If we start filling prisons with high profit criminals – the likes of Obado,prisons might just start improving conditions.I am sure Obado,does not want to go back there,even though it was rumoured that he received preferential treatment.
@Guest1 the article does not…
@Guest1 the article does not reveal what crimes the prisoners committed and in any case, I am not the judge who decides whether they are released or not. The most important thing here is to have rehabilitated people coming out from jail. And for those who are accused of murder and other gruesome crimes how would you want us to treat them. Eat dog poop? Has it ever occurred to you some maybe innocent? For the guilty ones what does your bible teach you?
They should be given toilet…
They should be given toilet papers because that what most of them complain about. They say they are not given toilet papers. First of all they should know they are in prison. To be in prison is not an employment. They get free food, healthcare, shelter etc
They should b made to suffer…
They should b made to suffer so they can learn their lessons on why they broke the law.But for the innocent ones i pray for them??Somebody should tell them kenyans jails r not western world jails where they babysit munderers with all their rights of lawyers,3 meals a day,gym,school n all sorts of bullshit?When u decide to break the law u should b ready to work for free with actually no rights but i agree the basics should b provided like newspapers to wipe their ass n pieces of those trees za kubrush their teeth’s kama wamasai?Shower ones a week juu they r spending taxes za free!
They have been watching too…
They have been watching too much TV lately. I hear some have scammed folks lots of money while they are still behind bars. Some have controls of their gangs out there in the streets. Clean up the rot in prisons, seal all loopholes, then have them work in a structured manner. reflecting on ourselves, I guess the prisoners are watching in awe how billions are being stolen out here and no one is in joining them in prison, while some of them (jailbirds)have been hauled to prison for stealing foodstuff, chickens, yams, githeri, a bowl of uji, omena, two bananas etc. Talk about a criminal justice system that looks like the caste system.