The conditions in Kenyan prisons have for a long time been in poor states with inmates having to deal with poorly cooked food, overcrowding, drug abuse, violence and lack of beds and beddings.
For a long time, Kenyan leaders have defied the call to change the inhumane conditions and enable the inmates a better living condition in Kenyan prisons.
Recently, six legislators were jailed at Pangani police cells for hatespeech allegations. The four days spent behind bars clearly showed the leaders what actually transpires in the cells.
The lack of the basic requirements by a human being was evident to them. One of the leaders, Ferdinand Waititu of Kabete has called for the overhaul of the prison conditions in the country.
The wait has been long overdue and political leaders should engage in positive talks of changing the conditions in the police cells.
Prisons like Kamiti maximum prison, Kodiaga prison, Shimo La Tewa have been dreaded by many with the fear of what transpires in the cells dreaded even by the hardcore criminals in the country.
People should all be treated with equality and prisoners should not be exempted even if they have broken the law.
Even though steps have been undertaken to spearhead change in Kenyan prisons, more still needs to be done to completely bring change to the prisons in the country.