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Go Slow At Kodiaga, Kisii

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Published on Tuesday, 29 April 2008 01:25
Prison warders in Kodiaga and Kisii joined in the strike over risk allowances. Most officers at the Kisii GK Prison downed theirs tools, yesterday morning, while a section of warders at Kodiaga changed into civilian clothing and left their workplace.

However, the office-in-charge of the facility, Mr Joshua Yuma, said all the warders were working."The issues are being addressed at the headquarters, hence threatening to go on strike is pointless," Yuma said.

Officers who talked to the The Saturday Standard said they were demoralised due to poor working conditions and the Government's failure to address their plight.The strike came as sources said the Commissioner of Prisons, Mr Gilbert Omondi, was scheduled to meet Ministry of Home Affairs PS, Dr Ludeki Chweya, yesterday afternoon, over the crisis.

Omondi and Chweya were to discuss Sh10, 000 promised by President Kibaki for helping during post-election violence."How can a policeman earn Sh5, 000 per month as risk allowance, while we get nothing?" posed a warder who sought anonymity.The warders said they were risking their lives by working for prisons.They cited an incident in Naivasha where a convict attacked a warder, seriously injuring him, earlier in the week.

He said he has been guarding dangerous criminals on transit for the last three years."I risk my life, but the Government does seem to care," he said.