For inmates who are mothers, raising a kid behind bars is no child’s play. But how do these children get in prison in the first place? Grace Wangare, who gave birth in prison explains: “I got sentenced for stealing while I was eight months pregnant and delivered here in prison.
I am glad they gave me time to recover at the maternity wing. My husband has been visiting me ever since to see my two-month old baby.”
Chief Inspector Vane Kerubo, who is in charge of prisoners’ welfare at Lang’ata, clarifies that what they have is a dispensary, not a maternity wing. “We can do deliveries in an emergency when an expectant inmate goes into labour, which occurs about once to twice a month, but always. In normal situations, we refer expectant mothers to major hospitals around the city for delivery,” says Kerubo. After a three- to six-month rest following a delivery, an inmate is relocated to the main prison hall to avoid contamination.
Currently, there are more than 40 mothers in Langa’ta Women;s Maximum Prison, and they all sleep in one cell called ‘ward.’ “When a mother comes here to serve a prison term, they can either come in with the child during admission, or the children are brought in after the mother has been admitted. When the child is at home, prison officers liaise with the children’s department, who processes a report for the court where an order for the child to join the mother is issued,” the Officer-in-Charge at Lang’ata Women’s Maximum Prison, Olivia Obell, explains.
