Economy

Feeding remandees costs Sh2.4m daily, review forum told

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Nearly 30,000 suspects are awaiting trial at 118 prisons countywide. FILE PHOTO | NMG

It costs Sh2.4 million per day to feed nearly 30,000 suspects awaiting trial at 118 prisons countywide, jailers have said. That loosely translates to Sh876 million in annual remandees feeding cost.

Senior assistant commissioner of Prisons Wanini Kireri told a forum organised by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) to review detention of suspects in prisons, noting that they are grappling with unsustainable bills.

Ms Kireri said suspects awaiting trial account for 43 per cent of prison population and unlike convicts, the law does not allow them to participate in any meaningful activity or skills training.

“They do nothing. They consume government resources because the law does not allow us to engage them in any gainful activities. Our current population is way above the recommended capacity of 30,000. We have several pending bills running to billions of shillings,” she added.

The DPP intends to review cases of  27,000 petty case remandees to decongest prisons.

On Wednesday, deputy director of public prosecutions Dorcas Oduor launched the remand action plan in Nairobi, saying the petty offence remandees should be made part of productive workforce while awaiting their trials.