Vihiga prisoners and warders clean hospitals

Vihiga prison warders join the inmates in cleaning the county headquarters in an exercise meant to bring co-existence between the two and at the same time the community. The four-day exercise involved cleaning Mbale market, county headquarters, Vihiga Hospital, Chavakali market and the Vihiga Principal Magistrate's court. [PHOTOS: ERIC LUNGAI/STANDARD]

KENYA: Vihiga GK Prison inmates and warders are cleaning major markets, hospitals and county headquarters.

Officer in charge of the facility Beverline Lungatso said this was meant to foster co-existence between the inmates, warders and the community.

She said most people fear prisons and only associate them with hard-core criminals whereas they are supposed to be a correctional facilities.

"Most people do not even know that we have a prison here in Vihiga and thus the need to help the community where necessary. We are merely showing them we are not bad people," Ms Lungatso said.

"Giving back to (the) community has always involved donating money for the needy or those having some problems, but now that we do not have money to give, we have decided to give back in our own special way of promoting cleanliness."

She said the programme will help the community engage with the prison facility where a variety of products are produced by the inmates. She asked the public to make use of the expertise of inmates, who have specialised in carpentry and masonry.