Scabies outbreak plagues Naivasha prison as number of inmates hits new high

A scabies outbreak has been reported at Naivasha Medium Prison, with over 100 inmates and remand suspects affected by the skin disease.

Congestion has been blamed for the outbreak as public health officials moved in to contain the disease through fumigation and medication among those affected.

The outbreak comes at a time when the prison department has decried low funding, which has adversely affected its services, including transport, internet services and warders' welfare.

The outbreak was first reported two weeks ago among the inmates before spreading to remand suspects whose numbers are on the rise.

According to a source, the facility was highly congested, hosting over double its limit, a move that had worsened the situation.

The officer noted that inmates were being forced to share beddings due to the current crisis with the disease skin spreading faster.

“We have an outbreak of skin disease in the medium prison and the problem has been worsened by congestion and lack of funding for fumigation materials,” said the source.

Nakuru County Director of Medical Services Dr Daniel Wainaina confirmed the outbreak but was quick to note that it had been contained.

He said that a multi-agency team from Naivasha had visited the penal institution, assisted in fumigation and treated all those inmates suffering from the skin disease.

The Director noted that it was easier to contain the outbreak as all the inmates were located within one confined area.

“We received a report of scabies affecting some inmates and our team responded very fast, and this has been contained through the necessary medical practices,” he said.

The National Assembly Constitutional Implementation of Oversight Committee (CIOC) has already termed the congestion crisis in the country’s penal institutions as a ticking time bomb.

The committee noted that the situation had been worsened by financial challenges that the prison department was currently facing against the rising number of inmates.

According to a member of the committee, Benjamin Mejjadonk, major gains made in past reforms had been eroded, leading to the current crisis.

“Senior officers say that there are major budgetary cuts and this has nearly crippled operations in nearly all the prisons across the country,” said the Embakasi Central MP.

Speaking earlier after touring Naivasha GK prison, he said the congestion had affected the welfare of the inmates who could not access basic necessities.

“We have been going across the country, and we have recorded a congestion crisis which needs to be addressed as soon as possible,” he said.