Bungoma Prison Service Celebrate 100 years in style

Written by Daniel Saenyi

As the Prison service marked 100 years of service countywide, inmates from the Bungoma prison were not left out as they celebrated by cleaning Bungoma town and a children’s home. In the event that included the prisoners and wardens, they visited the Kanduyi children’s home where they slashed the compound, weeded the flower beds, and planted vegetables on the children’s home garden while others engaged in other domestic chores. The Bungoma inmates and their warders also offered boxes of bar soap, bags of dry maize, and packets of sweets to bring joy, happiness and satisfaction to the orphans at the children’s home. Speaking at the event, the Bungoma Prisons Superintendant, Mr. Benjamin Chebet said, in their service as government officials, their ultimate dream is to give back to the community more so the less privileged persons like the orphans. “As government officials our ultimate dream to give back to the community more so the less privileged persons like the orphans.’’ said Mr. Benjamin Chebet. Mrs. Violet Mwaniki, the children’s home administrator also urged other well wishers to come to their aid as she thanked the prison officers of choosing to visit the home. “I urge other well wishers to come out and offer their support to our facility which has 36 children and has a capacity of 45,” Said Mwaniki. Apart from visiting the children’s home, the officers and the inmates cleaned streets in Bungoma town and also unblocked drainage pipes. This move was applauded by the Bungoma Public Health officer Mr. Xavier Tunduli who also urged other organizations to emulate this gesture and organize sanitation campaigns which will go a long way in improving the health of the town dwellers. “I urge other organizations to emulate this gesture and organize sanitation campaigns which will go a long way in improving the health of the people,’’ Said Tunduli. At the event Mr. Simon Makokha a social welfare officer at Bungoma prisons said prison reforms have had a positive impact on the department and urged the whole community to embrace it. “Prisoners are allowed to interact with wardens and even send messages back home. We offer education to the prisoners and nurture their talent in carpentry, building, masonry and tailoring,’’ he said. According to Mr. Makokha, prison reforms have helped the prison welfare in that there is no more congestion in the cells and have as well fostered good relation between the officers and the inmates. ‘’Prisons are no longer seen as punishment centres but as rehabilitation facilities for the inmates, “ he added. Emmanuel Barasa, an inmate at the Bungoma prisons echoed Mr. Makokha’s sentiments saying that life in prison is not as unbearable as it was before. Wardens are now friendly to inmates and there are no incidences of brutality.