Prisoners spending sleepless nights due to lice, bedbug infestation

Tambach Prison in Elgeyo Marakwet County has been severly infested by bedbugs, lice and mosquitos that are threatening the health of inmates, Deputy Warden Mr Benson Muraya has said.

Speaking when the Kenya Pharmaceutical Association (KPA) paid the facility a visit, the deputy warden said that the inmates are suffering because of the unforgiving insects that suck their blood day and night.

Victor Satia, KPA chair for North Rift region, said the situation at the prison was bad, adding that the insects were making the prisoners uncomfortable while exposing them to health risks.

He pledged that the organization would help rid the prison of the menace, adding that they would extend the mission to other prisons in the country.

Earlier this year, residents of Kochieng Village in Kisumu County complained about a widespread bedbug infestation that was causing them sleepless nights.

According to residents, the parasites were discovered around Namba Okana on Friday afternoon in large numbers and were spreading towards the villages in the northern side.

Odhiambo Aketch says that efforts to kill them by using insecticides proved futile with some resorting to using diesel over while others contemplated fleeing their homes out of fear.

Written by Chebet Birir