The entry of Mr.  Moody Awori  into the Ministry for Home Affairs marked a turning point for Kenyan prisoners.

Some prisons housing projects initiated by former Vice-President Moody Awori. Photo/CHRIS OJOW

Mr Awori had been an assistant minister for 20 years before landing the vice-presidency and the Home Affairs docket.

The better transport (Moody Hoppa), beauty contests and wide ranging reforms started to give the prisons a glimpse of hope.

Little did the former VP know that soon after his exit early this year, the prisons would explode with the most unexpected strike by prison warders.

The attempt to paint his tenure as being more favourable to prisoners than the warders is to Mr Awori a depressing story especially with documentary evidence of development plans and pictures of the actual magnificent housing units he initiated.

Distressing reality

That is the distressing reality the former Vice-President faces as he reveals how he reformed the Kenyan Prisons and transformed the lives of both inmates and prison warders.

During his first interview with the media  since he lost his Funyula parliamentary seat, Uncle Moody, as he was popularly known, believed that since he is not in the powerful office, nobody is bothering to tell the truth or even wipe dust on the covers of  documents he left at Jogoo House office for implementation.

Pictures he produced are testimony of magnificent houses in Kenya’s prisons that went unnoticed during the recent warders’ strike and the man behind the Sh70 billion five-year plan crafted an excellent vision that went with  the title  he held.

Mr Awori’s face was wrinkled during the  interview.

The scheme of service for prison warders came into being on the July 2, 2007, after 105 years of the department’s existence, and that was a monumental achievement.

Public court

The  ever-humorous Uncle Moody frowned at reports that negated his legacy and gave the Nation a detailed interview about his record at the Ministry of Home Affairs.

When he was put on his defence in the public court after the warders’ strike, Mr Awori was not the jolly dancer that tickled Kenyan prisoners.

Five mobile phones and bundles of records  lay on his table next to the poolside of his  serene residence in the leafy Lavington suburb of Nairobi.

A broad smile brightened his elderly frame and then he retorted: “You people in the Press only want to write about negative things, but look at my Sh70 billion five-year plan for the Kenya Prisons from 2005-2009.”

And, he tabled the document his successor, Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka, should implement.

Mr Awori said that he managed to improve the welfare of warders and senior officers by increasing salaries, building 192 housing units, introducing a scheme of service and proposing the creation of Kenya Prisons Service Commission.

 “The media has given a totally wrong impression of my tenure, and I challenge them to scrutinise these documents and publish pictures of the ultra-modern housing units built in three years alone,” said Mr Awori.

He cited the introduction of the risk allowance and the establishment of Kenya Prisons Service Commission, due to double roles of the department as security and corrective institutions.

“The warders got a 100 per cent pay raise in 2004, raising their minimum pay to Sh10,000 from Sh5,000 I inherited, and it was backdated to January the same year,” he said.

Financial year

The achievement realised as per the strategic plan was the allocation of Sh500 million each financial year from 2005/2006 budget, which helped to complete 192 two-bedroom houses countrywide.

A director of prison health services was posted to the department and proposed to change the face of prisons healthcare.

Key points Mr Awori addressed in the strategic plan include poor and inadequate physical facilities, which he recommended should be given urgent attention.

The report calls for the decongesting of the prisons, purchasing of new vehicles, modernising telecommunication system, and procurement and installation of security surveillance systems in prison staff training college.

On prisoners rehabilitation, the report wants the Government to employ professionals in fields such as criminology, sociology, psychology, theology and psychiatry. It recommends the development of comprehensive vocational training, reviving of the parole system and review of the earning scheme for prisoners.

Needs a review

The legal framework needs a review  for harmonisation of all laws relating to prisons  and borstal institutions management, so as to conform to modern practices.

In terms of diet and supplies, it highlighted the  acute shortage of prisoners' and staff stores.

Under the legal reforms, it recommends review of the existing acts, legal provisions for inter-state transfer of prisoners, establishment of  remand homes and establishment of Kenya Prisons Service Commission.

The report calls for revitalising of prisons enterprises and management and transformation of prison enterprises to semi-autonomous government agency.

The medical care for prisoners, says the report, requires specialised services and in the event of deaths, efficient postmortems, preservation, mortuary fees and delivery of bodies to reflect a human purpose.

Mr Awori criticised delayed administration of justice and asked the Judiciary to facilitate speedy  measures. The report recommends the establishment of  prisons legal unit.

The document suggests rolling out para-legal services in prisons and restorative justice.

Corruption remained the biggest challenge, which has to be fought to restore and sustain the integrity of the department.

HIV and Aids prevalence, says the report, calls for  budgetary provisions, and monitoring and evaluation mechanism for Aids Control Unit.

Earning scheme

In 2006/7 financial year, Sh17.6 million was set aside for the project and the same amount should flow to the prisons up to 2009.

Another Sh524 million should be spread within the same period for employment of professionals, vocational training, reviving the parole system  and review of  prisoners earning scheme.

The report recommend the allocation of Sh300 million in the five years for HIV and Aids campaign, and Sh30-40 million for corporate image of the prisons service.

The scheme of service raised the entry point for warders to Form Four with a  Grade C-. Anybody aspiring to be commissioner of prisons must have a Masters degree in several professions.

As at November 2007, prison officers numbered 16,042  against the required 18,744, but by early this year 1,500 recruits passed out at the training college to reduce the gap.

The Moody reforms initiated a budget allocation of Sh500 million every financial year for housing with effect from 2005/6 financial year.

Phase I of the project is over with Nairobi Remand and Allocation Prison  building 48 two-bedroom units, Nairobi West Prison 96 units, and Lang’ata Women Prison 48 units, all at a total cost of Sh228,784,405.