I would like to bring to your attention the impunity that is going on in Meru GK prison. It’s a government institution with the highest rate of nepotism and corruption.
The current officer in charge one Mr. Gichunge has failed completely to take charge of the institution and has resulted to work on hearsay rather than facts presented to him.
He does not listen to staff working under him rather he has this final say in matters that he has no clue over. Whatever he says is final and does not care whether it is in line with the basic human rights or not.
Under his leadership, the institution has turned into a hotbed of contraband and this he has completely ignored to deal with. The prisoners are conducting business and conning unsuspecting Kenyans given that they have access to phones and other contraband.
A sad story
On Monday morning he suspended an officer over alleged assault without even investigating the issue at hand. The officer in charge has lost control over the prison which is now run like some family business. Working there is completely messy not knowing when he will decide at his own discretion to implement some archaic rules from his book of thought.
The suspension of the officer has resulted in unrest among the staff since they see it as an act of intimidation and wrong use of the powers vested upon him.
The said suspended officer was not even given a chance to defend himself rather told to hand in government property and head home.
How is the officer going to survive during this pandemic times?
Mind you this is someone who has a family to feed and has been loyal to the service all through. given the nature of the alleged offence, the officer could have been given a chance to be heard and get off with a warning.
The manner in which he was treated has left many wondering if the dictatorial kind of leadership is going to continue oppressing them and for how long.
The officer in charge who recently took helm even gave explicit orders not to use a WhatsApp group used by staff to air their grievances. Up until now, the group’s sole purpose has remained to praise him.
It is indeed a shame to have a community of young men and women going through oppression in the name of trying to keep their jobs. Many officers have fallen into depression, some resorted to drinking because of the working conditions they are exposed to.
The washroom facilities in the staff quarters are a mess to behold and he is not bothered at all.
