Inmates injured in hunger strike standoff at Industrial Area prison

Inmates at the Industrial Area Remand and Allocation prison in Nairobi on Tuesday continued with a hunger strike to protest alleged brutality and harassment by prison warders.

The prisoners, who began refusing food on Monday, August 20 shared images showing physical injuries on the body of one of them who was apparently beaten up by a prison officer.

The inmates also claim that a prison officer at the facility has been assaulting them, with one of the remandees being killed.

Director of Operations at the prison James Kodieny, however, refuted the allegations, saying the inmates are protesting a change of guard  and confiscation of contraband goods including drugs and mobile phones at the facility.

“We have a new officer who was deployed here and he has come up with ways to ensure these contraband goods don’t get into the prison,” said Mr. Kodieny.

He declared that the prison administration will not tolerate the protest.

“Due procedure requires that those who are injured be taken to hospital and in the presence of doctors officers can be allowed to forcefully feed those on hungerstrike,” added Mr. Kodieny.

Sources told Citizen TV that since the change of guard in June this year, the inmates have been subjected to no meals, beatings in nightly inspections where their phones have been confiscated and intimidation.

Inmates have vowed to continue with the hunger strike until the Prisons Commissioner General Isaiah Osugo address their concerns.