A wave of unrest swept through the Naivasha GK Prison on Wednesday evening after the reported death of an inmate sparked outrage among the facility’s population. Nearly 3,000 prisoners—among them more than 1,000 serving life or death sentences, staged a protest, boycotting meals and engaging in tense confrontations with prison warders.
The unrest was reportedly triggered by the death of a middle-aged inmate, whom fellow prisoners claim died as a result of assault by prison wardens. According to several inmates, the deceased had been subjected to brutal treatment while in custody, leading to fatal injuries.
Speaking to Citizen Digital by phone, the officer in charge of Naivasha GK Prison, Gerald Ongume, confirmed the incident but attributed the tension to what he described as a “group of unruly inmates who were resisting assigned duties.”
“There is a group that has been attempting to destabilize operations within the prison by refusing to work and spreading misinformation,” Ongume said. “Some individuals tried to exploit the unfortunate death to incite chaos, but our officers acted swiftly to restore calm.”
The prison administration firmly denied allegations that the inmate died within the prison premises or as a result of mistreatment. Officials clarified that the prisoner had been admitted to the Naivasha Sub-County Hospital for several days prior to his death, suggesting he succumbed to illness and not injuries sustained from assault.
However, this official narrative has done little to quell the anger among inmates, many of whom are demanding an independent investigation. Several prisoners allege that their colleague’s death was not a result of natural causes, insisting that he had been mishandled and assaulted by wardens before being taken to hospital.
“This is not the first time we are seeing such behavior from the officers,” one inmate was quoted anonymously. “We will not eat or go to work until justice is done.”
As the situation unfolded, prison officers were forced to deploy additional security measures to maintain control within the highly secured facility. No injuries to warders or inmates were reported during the standoff.
The Kenya Prisons Service and other relevant authorities have yet to issue an official statement or announce whether any investigations have been launched into the incident. Human rights organizations have called for an immediate and transparent probe to determine the exact circumstances of the inmate’s death.
The incident has reignited concerns about the treatment of prisoners within the country’s correctional facilities, raising questions over oversight, accountability, and the protection of inmates’ rights.
Written By Rodney Mbua
