Machakos Prison wardens shocked the police reforms task force led by former Chief Justice David Maraga when they revealed that civilians owned the houses they were renting at the facility.
The officers – who spoke anonymously – on Thursday, February 9, lamented that the landlords were overcharging them.
Most officers also wondered how civilians could own plots in the prison’s land.
“Out of the 101 staff that I have, only 49 are living inside here and they will tell you more when their time comes,” an official stated.
Kenya Law Reforms Commission CEO Joash Dache – a task force member- indicated that they would look into the matter, adding that the prison’s title deeds were among the concerns to be addressed.
He noted that the matter was of serious concern adding that the team took evidence with them.
“The case here in Machakos is pretty serious. We have just been hearing of land grabbing but that is on another level. We have also taken photos to demonstrate the matter,” he stated.
Dache also expressed concerns over the timelines they were given to examine the matter. However, he added they would make recommendations regardless of the schedule.
“One of the points of reference is to look at titling and land holdings of both the police and the prisons.
“The time that we have been given is very short and we cannot deal with the whole issue of title deeds but we shall make recommendations of what we have seen on the ground,” the Committee member stated.
Machakos was one of the prisons found to have issues with its title in recent countrywide visits by the committee.
While visiting Shimo La Tewa Prisons in Kilifi County, the Maraga-led Committee discovered that the prison did not have a title deed making it prone to land grabbing.
“We are going to seek that evidence from the Lands office because our job is to get a title deed or to recommend that a title deed be given for government land that is occupied by the prisons and the police,” Maraga stated.
Source: kENYANS.CO.KE