Awarded thrice for doing what she loves

EVELYN OGUTU

Looking back to 1982 when she joined the prison training school as a recruit she realises she has developed a passion for reforming criminals.

Many despise prisoners and will not even want to come near them, but for Assistant Commissioner of Prison Wanini Keriri, she is a friend to the jailbirds.

"I wanted to be an airhostess. Prison was my dad’s idea. He pushed me into it, but I have never regretted," says Wanini.

Wanini has for 28 years progressed steadily up the ladder and she is among the few top senior women prison officers.

She attributes this to sheer hard work, discipline and going an extra mile in any assignment she is given.

Ms Keriri instructs inmates during a computer class at the prison. [PHOTOS: OMONDI ONYANGO/STANDARD]

You may recall the Lang’ata Women Prisons beauty pageant. This was Wanini’s brainchild. She was a duty officer at the prison in 2005 when she came up with the idea. She is at it again.

"At Lang’ata I embarked on a serious reform programme taking advantage of the open door policy. I also started the remote parenting programme. This was taken very positively and some of the women who won the pageant joined the beauty industry after completing their terms," recalls Wanini.

Now, although she was transferred to Shimo La Tewa Maximum Prison four years ago, Wanini has started a similar programme for the male prisoners and recently they produced Mr Shimo.

"Mr Shimo is a similar programme to Miss Lang’ata Prisons. The programme is still new, but it is making a big change in the prisoners’ lives. At Lang’ata, the programme made a big difference in the women’s lives, too.

The prisoners at Shimo La Tewa feel appreciated and motivated. They are also human beings and all they want is someone to appreciate them as they reform," explains Wanini.

The single mother of one says the fashion and design programme is the most outstanding activity in the prison and prisoners have embraced it as they showcase their talents.

"Mr Shimo is selected among the prisoners and acts as the station ambassador. The show is aimed at motivating the inmates by cultivating a culture of positive competition," she says.

Besides the fashion design and modelling shows, Wanini, or madam as she is referred to by officers and prisoners alike, has also introduced a visitation programme that allows for meaningful interaction between prisoners and their relatives.

Family days

"These family days are organised once a year and inmates spend the whole day with their relatives in the prison," says Wanini.

As a result of the reforms, Wanini has for three consecutive years won the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) Marekebisho Award.

Last month, Shimo La Tewa Prisons, which she has been heading since 2006, won the Marekebisho Awards by KNCHR, which she says is dedicated to the entire Shimo La Tewa community.

The Shimo La Tewa officer was awarded for her innovative efforts to improve the lives of the prisoners, her efforts towards maintaining highest level of cleanliness in the prisons and also efforts towards improving staff welfare.

"I commend my staff and inmates for their efforts in ensuring that the prison is generally scandal free, particularly as far as human rights abuses is concerned, and that is how we won this year’s Marekebisho Award," says Wanini.

The officer hopes that one day her concept of turning prisons to correctional centres will be adopted by the Government.

"I would love to see the Prisons Department come up with their clothes line (label) and have the prisoners host their fashion shows. Prisons should not be a place to come and rot, but to transform the criminals to better people," she says.