Kenya Red Cross Donates Phones to Prisoners

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Commissioner General of Kenya Prisons Wycliffe Ogalo receiving mobile phones from the Kenya Red Cross on Friday, May 8.
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The Kenya Red Cross donated 183 mobile phones to prison in Kenya to aid them in communicating with their families during the pandemic.

The donation was made to Kenya Prisons Service Commissioner-General Wycliffe Ogalo on Friday, May 8 at the headquarters in Upperhill, Nairobi.

Kenya Red Cross took to social media to announce the kind donation in a day when the organisation also marks the World Red Cross Day.

An image of Red Cross
Commissioner General of Kenya Prisons Wycliffe Ogalo receiving a boxed mobile phone from a Red Cross official.
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"Earlier today, the Kenya Red Cross in partnership with the International Committee of the Red Cross donated 183 phones and airtime to the Kenya Prisons Service.

"This is to allow inmates in all prisons to stay in touch with their families despite the suspension of the family visitation program imposed by Covid-19 restrictions," read the post.

State Department for Correctional Services Principal Secretary Zeinab Hussein on Saturday, March 21 suspended all jail visits for 30 days.

An extension was announced by Transport CS James Macharia during the daily Covid-19 briefing on Sunday, April 5 at Afya House.

The National Council on the Administration of Justice (NCAJ) resolved to release 4,800 prisoners who were serving time for petty offences on Thursday, April 2.

Prisoners, however, have been notorious for sneaking mobile phones into their cells to commit online and money transaction frauds.

This is mostly done through fake messages followed by calls to unsuspecting mobile phone users, seeking refunds from non-existent transactions. 

A con artist in prison can also call phone users and inform them of winning cash prizes, especially from mobile service providers. Targets are asked to pay a small fee to secure their winnings, only to be duped. 

The prison cons who employ sophisticated scams that can earn them Ksh80,000 to Ksh360,000 a day. 

Entrance area at the Shimo la Tewa Prison in Kilifi.
Entrance area at the Shimo la Tewa Prison in Kilifi.
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