Government to enrol all prisoners in SHA by December to combat disease outbreaks
Correctional Services Principal Secretary Salome Beacco said the plan is aimed at curbing the spread of disease in prisons while ensuring inmates have continuous access to treatment.
All inmates in Kenya’s correctional facilities will be enrolled in the Social Health Authority (SHA) by December as the government moves to address overcrowding and rising cases of communicable diseases.
Speaking during the 4th edition of the Jamii Imara Mashinani initiative in Meru, Correctional Services Principal Secretary Salome Beacco said the plan is aimed at curbing the spread of disease in prisons while ensuring inmates have continuous access to treatment.
More To Read
- ‘Pay cash or go without care’: Kenya’s growing healthcare access crisis
- SHA resumes hiring after court declares previous process unconstitutional
- Row erupts over management of civil servants’ injury, insurance claims
- Religious leaders demand release of SHA funds to hospitals, warn patients’ health is at risk
- SHA partners with healthcare providers to boost universal coverage, tackle fraud in Kenya
- RUPHA raises alarm over Ruto's SHA cover rollout for vulnerable Kenyans, citing legal violations
She noted that sexual offenders account for nearly 40 per cent of the prison population, a situation that has worsened congestion and triggered health challenges across correctional facilities.
“Almost 40 per cent of the problems I have are due to sexual offences; rape, sodomy, gender-based violence,” Beacco said, adding that Meru alone hosts nearly 1,000 such offenders.
“My prisons are overcrowded, overfilled, and this brings other problems.”
According to Beacco, the high concentration of offenders has fueled the spread of communicable diseases such as gonorrhea, syphilis and HIV, while straining already limited medical resources.
“The highest prevalence of HIV incidences is here in Meru. I don’t have money for medicines,” she said, warning that the burden of disease in prisons cannot be ignored.
She emphasised that enrolling inmates under SHA would improve access to treatment and strengthen disease management within the correctional system.
Beacco further called for new approaches to addressing gender-based violence at the community level, noting that prevention would reduce the number of offenders sent to prison and improve public health outcomes.
Public Health and Professional Standards Principal Secretary Mary Muthoni, who also attended the event, urged Kenyans to register for SHA, saying the government is expanding health services to reach more people.
She cited early cancer screening as a priority area, promising to work with county governments to make the services available closer to communities.
Muthoni also raised alarm over the increasing cases of drug and substance abuse among young people, particularly the growing use of electronic gadgets laced with illegal drugs.
Meru leaders, including Imenti North MP Rahim Dawood, echoed the government’s concerns, stressing that tackling health risks in prisons and addressing substance abuse among the youth are critical steps in safeguarding Kenya’s future.
The nationwide enrollment of inmates into SHA is expected to ease the health burden in correctional facilities and promote equitable access to essential medical care.
Top Stories Today
