Women senators demand justice for 36 pregnant schoolgirls in Bungoma

Kenya Women Senators Association (KEWOSA) has condemned the impregnating of 36 schoolgirls in Bungoma County, terming it a testament to moral decay in society.

KEWOSA Vice Chairperson Nominated Senator Catherine Mumma called for thorough investigations into the matter to ensure the prosecution of the men involved to serve as a lesson to others with similar motives.

Senator Mumma who led a team of 10 female Senators who visited Malindi Women Prison in Kilifi County on Sunday afternoon, said that they will engage Advocates to ensure that the families of the schoolgirls whose innocence has been robbed get justice.

“When you find out that 36 girls in one school have been impregnated, it raises serious questions about moral decay in society, it is very sad when you find out that grown up men are taking advantage of young girls who are yet to complete school,” said Mumma.

 Nominated Senator Hamida Kibwana called for full implementation of Kenya Prisons reforms to ensure that they serve the intended purpose as correctional facilities as envisaged in the 2010 Constitution.

Senator Hamida said that the female Senators who are Advocates will be visiting female prisons across the country to ensure that the inmates are well treated as per the policy changes envisaged in the Constitution, saying that they have rights just like other Kenyans.

"Every person is a potential client in prison, so it is important to make sure there is a conducive environment for prisoners as envisaged by the 2010 Constitution. The prisoners are only denied the right of movement but should enjoy other rights," said Nominated Senator Hamida.

The Nominated Senator said that when they previously visited Langata Women Prison two years ago they realised that most offenders in prisons were involved in petty crime and did not have money to pay for fines so as to go home and were leading to congestion in prisons.

Senator Hamida said that they assisted more that they helped 250 women prisoners to pay their fines during her tenure as KEWOSA Chairperson and that she wrote a letter to President William Ruto and Deputy President Kithure Kindiki seeking to have petty offenders pardoned.

Nominated Senator Tabitha Mutinda said that there was a need for more computers and internet services in Prisons so that cases can be done virtually to reduce movement between prisons and courts so that prisoners and suspects can get justice from where they are held.

“Together with Senator Hamida we have paid Sh 90,000 cash bail for one of the female remandees at the Malindi Women Prison so that she can handle her case outside Prisons, we have many other cases in our Prisons who need assistance,” said Senator Mutinda. 

Nominated Senator Betty Syengo asked the prisoners to take their jail terms since it might be a way to their destiny and take advantage of their time there to learn various skills that might be helpful once they complete their jail terms.

Nominated Senator Catherine Wakwabubi called for the inclusion of a techno savvy curriculum in the Prisons since we are in the digital era and that the prisoners have a right to learn and know what is happening around the world so that they can be better citizens once they leave jail.

"We need to relook at the reintegration policies for Prisoners living in Prison as they get back to society since most of them who have served long sentences have a difficult time getting acceptance back to society," said Senator Wakwabubi.

KEWOSA Treasurer Nominated Senator Mariam Omar said they will assist female remandees to get cash bail funds to handle their cases while at home since most of them have left their children suffering without a mother’s love.

Kilifi Deputy Governor Florence Chibule said that the Prisoners have a responsibility to accept their mistakes as part of them being reformed and that the focus should be to empower the prisoners to be able to be productive members of society.

The Coast Parliamentary Group Chairperson Gertrude Mbeyu said that the issues raised by the female prisoners will be dealt with and donated five sewing machines and 15 boxes of sanitary towels to the prisoners at the Malindi Women Prison.

“Most of the female offenders in prison are victims of petty offences and they need to be assisted to get out of Prison as part of decongesting prisons and also for them to make a positive contribution to society,” said Mbeyu.

The Kenya Prison Service Deputy Commissioner General Jane Kirii told Senators that there are only 3,300 Women Prisoners out of the 63,000 prisoners in the country which shows that very few women are involved in crimes that lead them to prison.

Kiiri told Senators that Most of the offenders jailed in Kenya Prisons are involved in sexually related offences, which might be a reflection of moral decay in society and that something needs to be done to change the trajectory.

“The Kenya Prisons Service is doing its best to ensure that all prisoners enjoy their rights as enshrined in the Constitution. We call for Parliament to come up with more legislation to make sure that Prisons achieve their goals as reform centres for offenders,” said Kirii.