Questions have been raised over by the Interior Ministry after one of the departments headed by PS Zeinab Hussein advertised for the sale of Prison Services livestock despite the department needing the same for weekly consumption.
According to sources within the Ministry of Interior’s Department of Correctional Services, PS Zeinab Hussein advertised the sale of 4,000 heads of cattle through an auction on May 25 through an advert that invited bids on tender number SDC/34/2020-2021.
The advert was apparently sent out despite protests by key prisons services agricultural staff who wondered why the sale has to be through an auction and not Kenya Meat Commission (KMC) which was revived by the military and is now operational. The junior prisons staff now fears that well-connected figures will just buy the livestock cheaply in a staged auction and then supply the same to KMC for huge profits.
Prison Service needs at least 1,100 tonnes of meat every year to satisfy the over 53,000 prisoners in our jails.
Prison service moved to keep the cattle to cut costs of buying meat every time prisoners would rear and slaughter the animals to cater to their needs. There is no clear explanation as to why this is changing as the department now gears to sell all the cattle.
Rearing animals and breeding them is also an activity in our correctional centres as it helps the convicts engage in gainful economic activities.
Sources argue that the government might not get value for money by selling them through an auction.
Key Kenya Prisons directorates now believe that PS Zeinab Hussein is focused on crippling the department as she has not initiated favourable policies to build Kenya’s prisons or even empower them.
President Uhuru Kenyatta recently ordered all disciplined formations to procure their meat supplies through the newly refurbished KMC with a view of developing and empowering to start getting meat supplies from KMC with view of developing and empowering farmers.
Email your news TIPS to Editor@kahawatungu.com You can also find us on Telegram through www.t.me/kahawatungu
Email your news TIPS to Editor@Kahawatungu.com — this is our only official communication channel
