Correctional Services Principal Secretary Salome Beacco has announced that the government will place all inmates under the Social Health Authority (SHA) by the end of the year in a bid to curb the spread of disease in correctional facilities.
Speaking in Meru during the 4th edition of the Jamii Imara Mashinani initiative, Principal Secretary for Correctional Services, Salome Beacco, raised concerns over the growing disease burden in Kenya’s prisons, largely driven by cases related to sexual offences, which she noted account for over 40% of prison cases.
PS Beacco emphasised the health risks associated with the rising prevalence of disease within correctional facilities and called for a different approach to how communities respond to gender-based violence (GBV), which she said significantly contributes to congestion.
She further revealed worrying statistics showing that Meru County now leads nationally in HIV prevalence, overtaking the Nyanza region.
Beacco linked the rise in cases to sexual offenders in correctional facilities, noting that Meru County has over 1,000 registered sexual offenders, a figure she described as alarming
“Almost 40 percent of the problems I have are due to sexual offences – rape, sodomy, gender-based violence,” she said, adding that Meru alone hosts nearly 1,000 such offenders. “My prisons are overcrowded, overfilled, and this brings other problems.”
The PS warned that the congestion and high concentration of offenders have worsened the spread of communicable diseases.
Her counterpart in Public Health and Professional Standards, Mary Muthoni, urged more Kenyans to register for the Social Health Insurance, saying the government is working hard to address existing challenges and expand the range of services covered.
PS Mary Muthoni also emphasised the importance of early cancer screening, stating that the national government will continue working with county governments to bring screening centers closer to the people. She noted that early detection remains one of the key strategies in the fight against cancer.
She was joined by Imenti North MP Rahim Dawood, where both leaders raised concern over the rising cases of drug and substance abuse among the youth. They particularly warned about the increasing use of electronic gadgets laced with illegal drugs.
