Women senators have demanded investigations and action after 36 schoolgirls in Bungoma were reportedly impregnated, raising concerns over the protection of children and the safety of girls in schools.
Nominated Senator Catherine Mumma, who led a 10-member delegation of the Kenya Women Senators Association (KEWOSA), said the reported pregnancies raised serious questions about the protection of school-going children and the conduct of adults who take advantage of minors.
“When you find out that 36 girls in one school have been impregnated, it raises serious questions about moral decay in society. It is very sad when you find out that grown-up men are taking advantage of young girls who are yet to complete school,” Mumma said.
Mumma said KEWOSA would engage advocates to help the affected families pursue justice and ensure that those responsible are held accountable.
She said the association would follow up on the matter to ensure the girls, whose education and childhood had been disrupted, receive justice.
The senators spoke on Sunday during a visit to Malindi Women Prison, where they also called for reforms to improve the welfare and rehabilitation of inmates.
During the visit, Nominated Senators Hamida Kibwana and Tabitha Mutinda paid Sh90,000 in cash bail for a female remandee who had been unable to secure her release.
Mutinda said the intervention was part of efforts to support women remandees who cannot raise money to secure bail.
“Together with Senator Hamida, we have paid Sh90,000 cash bail for one of the female remandees at the Malindi Women Prison so that she can handle her case outside prison. We have many other cases in our prisons who need assistance,” Mutinda said.
Kibwana called for the implementation of prison reforms envisaged under the 2010 Constitution, saying inmates retain fundamental rights despite being deprived of their freedom of movement.
She said previous visits to Langata Women Prison had shown that some women were serving time for petty offences because they could not afford to pay fines.
Kibwana said more than 250 women prisoners had been assisted to pay their fines during her tenure as KEWOSA chairperson.
She said she had also written to President William Ruto and Deputy President Kithure Kindiki seeking consideration for the release of petty offenders.
Nominated Senator Catherine Wakwabubi called for a review of prison reintegration policies, saying former inmates often face difficulties returning to society after serving long sentences.
She also called for technology-based learning in prisons to equip inmates with skills relevant to the digital era.
Mutinda said prisons should have computers and reliable internet services to facilitate virtual court proceedings and reduce the movement of prisoners and suspects between correctional facilities and courts.
KEWOSA treasurer Nominated Senator Mariam Omar said the association would assist female remandees to secure bail, noting that many were mothers whose children were left without maternal care when they were detained.
Kilifi Deputy Governor Florence Chibule said prisoners should take responsibility for their actions while being given opportunities to acquire skills that can help them become productive members of society.
Coast Parliamentary Group chairperson Gertrude Mbeyu said petty offenders should be prioritised in efforts to decongest prisons.
Mbeyu also donated five sewing machines and 15 boxes of sanitary towels to Malindi Women Prison.
Deputy Commissioner General of the Kenya Prisons Service Jane Kirii said women account for about 3,300 of the country's 63,000 prisoners.
Kirii said the Kenya Prisons Service was committed to protecting inmates' constitutional rights and called on Parliament to strengthen legislation supporting rehabilitation.
