The government has enrolled more than 60 per cent of inmates in the country under the Social Health Authority (SHA), with authorities now working to register the remaining prisoners despite challenges caused by the frequent movement of inmates between correctional facilities.
Principal Secretary for Correctional Services Salome Beacco said the government was meeting the cost of the medical cover for inmates as part of efforts to ensure vulnerable Kenyans can access healthcare.
“The SHA cover for inmates is being paid for by the government. This is a presidential directive based on the recognition that the most vulnerable members of society, including indigent people at the bottom of the economic pyramid, must also be covered,” Beacco said.
She said the registration exercise had made good progress and that the government had provided resources to ensure all inmates are eventually brought into the SHA system.
“I am happy to report that we are doing quite well. We have now exceeded the 60 per cent mark,” she said.
Beacco said the remaining registrations were being affected by the movement of inmates in and out of correctional facilities.
Some prisoners are released soon after being admitted, meaning officials may not have enough time to collect and record their details before they leave the facility.
The government has therefore brought together several departments to address the problem and ensure inmates are captured in the system.
The Ministry of Health is working with the Department for Citizen Services through the National Registration Bureau and the Department for Correctional Services as part of the joint effort to register all inmates.
“This is a continuous programme. We are using a multi-sectoral approach to ensure inmates are registered,” Beacco said.
The PS said the registration of inmates was part of the wider government effort to achieve universal healthcare coverage across the country.
She said more than 32 million Kenyans had already been registered under SHA, while correctional officers were also benefiting from the medical cover.
Beacco said the government was determined to ensure inmates were not excluded from the programme because of their circumstances.
She spoke on Thursday at Garissa Main Prison during the State Department for Correctional Services’ monthly tree-planting exercise, which is part of a nationwide environmental conservation campaign.
Beacco was accompanied by Deputy Commissioner General of Prisons Jane Karii, directors and other senior national government officials.
The visit also focused on the department’s environmental conservation work, with the prison service giving priority to tree species that can withstand dry conditions.
Neem trees are among the species being planted, particularly in dry and semi-arid regions such as Garissa.
“Kenya Prisons Service has been at the forefront of reclaiming degraded land. You can see behind me that we have many trees, and this is part of our efforts to restore the environment,” she said.
The PS said environmental conservation in correctional facilities was not limited to planting trees, with the department also working to reduce its reliance on biomass and fossil fuels.
Under a Rapid Results Initiative set to be carried out during the current financial year, correctional facilities are being moved towards cleaner energy sources such as liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and solar power.
“We hope that within the next 12 months, we will have completely transitioned to clean energy as directed by the President,” she said.
President William Ruto has set a national goal of planting 15 billion trees by 2032. The government is also working on the restoration of degraded landscapes, water towers and semi-arid areas across the country.
Beacco said the Department of Correctional Services wanted to complete the shift from fossil fuels and biomass within a shorter period than the national timeline.
“We want to leapfrog that target by ensuring that it is achieved within this financial year,” she said, praising correctional officers for their commment to environmental conservation.
During her visit, Beacco also inspected programmes aimed at improving the welfare of correctional officers and probation personnel.
She said construction of houses for correctional officers had already started after recommendations by a presidential task force.
The government is also continuing with efforts to improve conditions within correctional facilities while pursuing its healthcare, environmental conservation and clean-energy plans.