The government has released at least 7,000 inmates due to the novel COVID-19 that has hit the country.
According to Interior CS Fred Matiang’i, the move is meant to decongest prisons in the wake of coronavirus.
Further, the CS noted, two prisoners from the Industrial Area prison have tested positive for the deadly respiratory disease.
The two patients had come into contact with some 42 prisoners who have since been isolated.
On Saturday, Health CAS Dr Rashid Aman said testing in prisons was set to begin following the confirmation of the two cases.
“These two cases in Industrial Area Remand Prison I’m certain that our Emergency Operation Centre and Rapid Response Team must have been alerted and are aware of it. The correctional facilities are one of those high risk areas we have identified because of their nature and closeness,” said Dr Aman.
“Part of our testing is to get into these facilities, work with the prison department in order to be able to determine whether there is transmission of Covid-19 within these facilities and then put in all those necessary measures that we require to protect the inmates,” he added.
So far, Kenya’s virus cases stand at 672 with 239 recoveries and 32 fatalities.
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