Imprisonment of under 35 worrying –PS

Correctional Services Principle Secretary Mary Muthoni briefing the media over the 40 per cent under 35 who are serving in various jails across the country . She spoke to the press after a thanks giving  church service for Jeremiah Makimi ,the Kariti MCA yesterday.

The  rate at which youths under 35  years are getting imprisoned is assuming worrying dimensions, the Principal Secretary for Correctional Services  Mary Muthoni has said.

She said presently all the inmates at various prison facilities across the country  40 per cent were  under 35 youths in their productive stages .

The PS made  these  shocking revelations yesterday while attending a thanksgiving service at Gitumbi Anglican church  , Sagana  for the Kariti Ward MCA Jeremiah Makimi .

She told the worshipers that many parents were not even aware their children were languishing  in  jails after  being duped that the youths had gone to work in Nairobi.

“It’s very unfortunate that a parent on being cheated that his or her son had secured a job in the City these parents do not bother to find out where their children were ‘working’ only to learnt albeit too late that they had turned to be criminals ,”she said.

Kariti MCA Jeremiah Makimi speaking to the media moments after his thanks giving service at Gitumbi African Church within Sagana town yesterday. The ceremony was graced by the Correctional Services PS Mary Muthoni and the immediate former Vienna Ambassador Njeru Githae among other dignitaries yesterday.

Added the PS “ during the few months I have been in office I have visited most of our prisons and what is alarming is the high number of youths  serving various sentences   after being convicted of drug   abuse , defilements and other petty related  social  upheavals ,”.

She implored upon the parents to be inquisitive over the whereabouts of their children and even make follow up to find out if indeed they were working  in Nairobi or other towns as claimed .

And more shocking and disturbing was the fact that the congregants admitted the number of youths was minimal and dwindling with time .

“If you look at the youths in this particular church service their number is minimal within only their parents comprising the majority and we fear losing an entire generation unless urgent remedial measures were put in place ,”she said.

The  service was also attended by scores of Makimi’s colleagues  who assured local residents they were equal to the task they were elected for .

Led by the Assembly Speaker Murimi Muteti , the MCAs also discounted claims that their house  was divided  along cliques allied to certain political inclinations .

Muteti said being  the  Assembly ship Captain he had the required  skills to navigate to the end of the five year journey .

Also present was the immediate former Ambassador to Vienna Njeru Githae who hailed Makimi for his consistence in politics.

“Makimi joined politics before Devolution where he was nominated as a Civic Leader for the then  Sagana Town Council,(now defunct ) and later got elected and became its Chairman . He lost  during the 2013 general elections , waited patiently  in the cold for ten years and now here he is the Kariti Ward MCA,) Githae told the congregants .

Also present was Ndia  MP G.K Kariuki who assured local residents that all the road projects the government had initiated and started in the area will be completed .

He said there was budget  to complete all the ongoing projects  and dispelled claims that the government had shelved  them due to financial constraints .

The high profile service lasted until after 3 pm with locals praising their leader for having brought together  the dignitaries who graced the occasion .