Kiambu county prison commander Karani Limanye has confirmed that two inmates from Thika Main prison have been admitted to Thika Level V hospital following a cholera outbreak at the correctional facility.
Speaking to Citizen Digital on Monday, April 17, the prison’s administrator revealed that the first case was reported on April 8, 2023, and ten inmates were infected with the disease the next day.
The waterborne disease infected 38 other inmates, but it has since been contained, with only 10 cases reported as of yesterday.
“All of them are stable although two of them are admitted at Thika level 5 hospital; the others are with us here but they have been isolated,” he said.
Thika Town Member of Parliament Alice Ng’ang’a, speaking after donating a water tank to the facility, urged the prison wardens to maintain high levels of hygiene in and out of the prison to halt the spread of the disease.
The lawmaker also urged the Kiambu county government to raise public awareness about the dangers of cholera and how to prevent its spread.
“It is all about cleanliness and hygiene. I am advising those living in and of prison if there’s an outbreak of cholera, it means our hygiene has gone down instead of improving so just the same thing we used to do during covid-19, we should improve on our hygiene,” she highlighted.
The main prison in Thika houses both male and female inmates.
