The European Union (EU) has funded a mega solar project at Kisumu Maximum Prison, Kodiaga to the tune of nearly Sh6million (six million).
Speaking during the launch of the project at the maximum correctional facility on Tuesday, state department for Correctional Services Principal Secretary Dr Salome Muhia Beacco said the project will see a reduction in the costs of power at the facility by over 70 per cent.
“Our monthly power bills here are going to reduce by Sh100, 000 to 300, 000 every month but we want to cut this power bills to zero so that we can channel that money to other pressing needs,” Dr Beacco stated.
She noted that Kisumu Maximum Prison, Kodiaga is one of the facilities where her department is running many projects aimed at improving the lives of inmates and power is key in these projects.
“We need power for our cottage industries and other projects to run effectively without interruption and we have a policy to go green in order to save our environment,” Beacco said.
The PS noted that the availability of power will help digitisation of justice processes and help reduce congestion in the correctional facilities.
“Nearly half of the inmates in our correctional facilities are in remand, this means their cases are ongoing and with digitisation, virtual courts will help clear some of these cases instead of waiting to be taken to court which consumes time and resources.
Beacco affirmed that the project of greening the correctional facilities is in line with the national agenda of greening the country which can help tap into the footprints of carbon credits.
It’s worth noting that the EU, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) through the Programme for Legal Empowerment and Aid Delivery (PLEAD) is undertaking similar projects in other correctional facilities around the country such a Nairobi Remand Prison, Shikusa in Kakamega and Kericho Prisons.
The European Union Ambassador to Kenya Henriette Geiger who was the chief guest during the launch of the project said the greening project in the prisons will help expedite justice to the inmates through virtual courts and the digitisation of the justice system in Kenya will not only reduce delays in cases but will also reduce corruption.
“With the financial support of the European Union, the UNODC, through the PLEAD harnesses digitalisation as an enabler of justice to deploy e-justice solutions. These solutions deliver fair, efficient, inclusive and rights-based justice services across Kenya’s justice sector,” she said.
Ambassador Geiger noted building on the gains of the first phase, the programme will continue to support the justice sector with transformative solar power solutions that have reduced case backlogs and promoted virtual court sessions, meetings and e-learning while minimising the sector’s carbon footprint.
Its noteworthy that when COVID-19 struck, PLEAD up scaled virtual hearings, through enabling equipment to the justice sector in far flung areas and prisons with a high number of pretrial detainees.
This significantly reduced the time and cost of accessing justice. Switching to solar has amplified these gains, reducing demand from the grid; translating to fewer greenhouse-gas emissions and improved air quality while sustaining essential justice services even with unstable power sources.
Speaking during the same function, Deputy Representative of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Mr Koen Marquering praised Kenya for endeouring to provide humane conditions to the inmates which is in line with what his organisation refers to as Nelson Mandela rules which are the minimum UN conditions for treating prisoners.
He noted that the greening project will not help improve the conditions of prisoners but also help in cutting costs.
Also present at the function were; Kisumu Resident Judge Justice Alfred Mabeya and Commissioner General of the Kenya Prisons Service, Mr Patrick Aranduh.
The Kenya Prisons Service has been expanded to manage 140 penal institutions in the country: 134 facilities for adult offenders, three facilities for youthful offenders (two Borstal Institutions and one Youthful Correctional Training Centre).
Data from Prisons services shows that current the prisoners’ population stands at 54,000 of whom 48 per cent are pre-trial detainees while the remaining ones are already serving their prison terms, with a staff establishment stands at approximately 22,000 comprising of uniformed officers and auxiliary staff.
Kisumu Maximum Prison has a population of 2,300 inmates. The ongoing project of construction of decentralised sewerage treatment plants will also provide an opportunity to reuse the wastewater as an input for other production to make products like briquettes.
By Mabel Keya-Shikuku
