Trans Nzoia Governor George Natembeya interceeded in setting free some inmates from the Kitale main prison.
The county boss visited the prisoners and had some light moments with them on December 23.
“I paid fine for 91 petty offenders who will now join their loved ones for Christmas celebrations,” he announced.
Natembeya, who joined the inmates for a devotion service at the correctional facility, also donated two bulls and assorted food items.
Elsewhere, in Chuka GK Prison Kathwana, Embu and Meru prisons, sixty-five prisoners were reportedly set free in a move to decongest the facilities.
By the time of publishing this story, a total of forty inmates had been set free from the Chuka-Kathwana Prison.
Those released included inmates locked up for petty crimes and those left with a short time before the end of their sentences.
Kathwana Prison’s officer in charge, Kiprotich Baraiywo, lauded the move to decongest the facility and asked the pardoned inmates to be law-abiding citizens to avoid going back to jail.
Speaking to the inmates, Lucy Gitaari, Chuka High court judge asked them to strictly adhere to the directions issued in serving the CSO and provisional sentences for the remaining part of their jail terms.
“I'm asking the community to accept them following efforts to transform them while they were behind bars,” she stated.
On December 15, the government announced a planned decongestion program between the Judiciary and Prisons Services that would see minor offenders set free.
Speaking at Mwea prisons, Principal Secretary Ministry for the State Department of correctional services, Mary Muthoni, announced that the move would see the offenders released by January 2023.
She also proposed to the courts to give alternative punishments to minor offenders instead of locking them up in prisons.
“The president of the supreme court is very positive about this issue and we want to decongest the prisons,' she announced.
