Inmates mark women’s day as Maa community demands water, housing
David Musundi, Henry Andanje and Christine Musa
@PeopleDailyKe
A four-kilometre drive from Kitale town led us to the Kitale Main Women’s Prison, one of the largest correctional facilities outside Trans Nzoia county headquarters.
Here, we find prison warders wearing green uniforms and inmates - in their black and white stripped fabric uniforms.
They are all gathered at the facility to celebrate the International Women’s Day, marked every March 8.
Twelve of the 100 women detained at the facility are participants in the Miss Kitale Prison Project.
Since 2003, the initiative has been used to run a modified version of the Community Empowerment Programme in women’s prisons in Kenya.
Sheila Akalipan, who is serving a seven-year jail term, was recently crowned Miss Kitale, taking over from Gloria Chemtai, who is serving a 25-year sentence after successfully appealing the death sentence and life imprisonment.
Akalipan says she will passionately seek to help inmates better reintegrate into the society upon their release.
Finance support fund
It is for this goal that the women inmates are guided by Betty Chepkoskey, the officer in charge, in programmes such as agriculture, salon and knitting work.
“We also teach them about health, hygiene, literacy, math, and project management,” said Chepkoskey.
The skills gained in prison give many women the confidence that they will be able to support themselves financially once released. The goods produced by convicts are sold to the local community.
The funds earned are used to finance a social support fund and are shared among the participants, helping them begin saving while still in prison.
Gladys Nekesa, 49, and a mother of five, who is serving a two-year jail sentence asked the government to be lenient and give women non-custodial sentences for the sake of their families.
Female Trans Nzoia MCAs including Anne Ciiko Mwangi and Mercy Tanui joined in the celebration of the International Women’s Day. Tanui asked the community not to stigmatise women associated with incarceration upon completing their jail terms.
Meanwhile, Assistant Commissioner in charge of Busia GK Prison Japheth Onchiri has urged the society to accept those released from prisons.
He said the government is using a lot of resources to ensure all inmates are offered various courses while in prison such as tailoring to enable them to become self-reliant when they complete their jail terms.
Onchiri spoke at the Busia Women’s Prison wing during the International Women’s Day celebrations at the institution.
During the occasion, female inmates participated in different activities including netball, and a beauty contest.
The officer in charge of Busia Women’s Prison wing Superintendent Doreen Anabaka said the prison has introduced a programme of caring for children whose both parents are incarcerated.
At the same time, Maasai women in Kajiado county have called for improved housing and improved access to water.
As the rest of the world yesterday marked milestones made by women, Kajiado women said they are not yet liberated from the chains of poverty and retrogressive culture.
County First Lady Edna Lenku and nominated Senator Judith Pareno, who spoke in Oloitokitok, said they look forward to helping President Uhuru Kenyatta realise his Big Four agenda on housing by cooperating to roll out the Eco Manyatta project, which will include building decent and modern houses for rural Maasai families.
