Prisons boss denies torture claims

Days after a Citizen TV expose on the torture of prisoners at King’ong’o Prison by prison warders, Prisons Commissioner General Isaiah Osugo has warned that officers helping prisoners to smuggle contraband goods like mobile phones will face the sack.

Mr Osugo said the officers will also be prosecuted for the offence.

Speaking when he visited G.K King’ong’o Prison in Nyeri over inmate torture allegations, the commissioner general, however, denied reports that torture is rife in the penal facility.

Mr Osugo, who was accompanied by Central Regional Police Coordinator Larry Kieng, however vehemently denied allegations that the inmates were tortured as depicted in the video that was released to Citizen TV.

Kieng said a search that was conducted on Friday night netted 50 mobile phones, adding that there was a scuffle during the process due to resistance by the inmates.

Mr Osugo said during the search, there was a scuffle during the process of getting the mobile phones since there was a lot of resistance from the prisoners.

He added that a smartphone that had been left behind during the search was used by the prisoners to record what he termed as a stage -managed video.

The commissioner, however, noted that many officers had served at the prison for a long period of time and that they would be transferred.

Mr Kieng on his part stated that police have launched investigations into the incident, adding that those involved in smuggling contraband good into the prison will face the full force of the law.

The video aired on Citizen TV last Saturday showed some prisoners with bandages claiming that they had been denied health care.

Written by Atieno Mboya