By Fredrick Nadulli aka Razor,
Prison is a place that sends a cold shiver down the spine of the most intrepid humans.Eerie tales abound of difficult life behind these high-walled fortresses.A maximum security gaol is therefore a daunting place to be, what with watch-towers that are manned by heavily armed warders round the clock.
GOtv recently made a memorable visit to the penitentiary in a move that shook the facility to the core.
Kamiti is Kenya’s most dreaded penal instituition.The correctional centre has since time immemorial played host to the high and mighty,political detainees,sports stars,the hoi polloi et al.Every single convict who has served time here has a harrowing story they would wish locked up in some inner sanctum and keys thrown away,if only to run away from their dodgy past.
CLOUD WITH A SILVER LINING
In recent years however,the prison has undergone massive transformations that have made life somewhat bearable.Former vice president Moody Awori set the ball rolling.His Excellency,who also held the Home Affairs portfolio,introduced television sets in all prisons in a move that drew mixed feelings.Some protested that he was extending ‘ luxury’ to hardened criminals who ‘deserved to rot in those hell-holes’.A good number viewed it from a humanitarian perspective and backed him all the way,not least Human rights’ activists.
And so began terrestrial transmission in prisons across the country.
Inmates welcomed the breath of fresh air pumping new life into their miserable existence.They were elated that they now had access to hitherto elusive information,at the very least.He left an in indelible mark in the Kibaki regime.The move formed part of the VP’s heralded legacy.
DIGITAL SWITCH
In came the Jubilee administration and suddenly the word digital was on every lip.The government,in a bid to keep up with the rest of the globe,adopted the digital switch from analogue transmission.This implied that all television sets had to be equipped with digital set boxes to stay on air.Failure to conform meant blank screens,prisons included.
GOtv,as part of corporate social responsibility(CSR),donated decoders to block B of Kamiti.On hand to receive was former Mathare United and Kenya winger Tedium Rodgers,an inmate and now captain of the prison’s football team.He was flanked by Henry Kisingu,Assistant Commisioner of prisons who authorised and facilitated the visit.
Supersport Kenya Operations Manager Kiarie Mwangi,who led the GOtv team,hopes that the gesture will help ease pangs of incarceration and provide an educational platform besides entertaining inmates.”These are our brothers,we share their pains and tribulations even as they serve time here.Anything we can do as a company to alleviate their suffering as they await re-integration back to society is a big bonus to our collective psyche”, he observed.
The joy on the faces of the recipients during presentation was palpable.The commisioner was beside himself with glee,happy that GOtv had brought big smiles to the faces of inmates.”As a company that takes it’s CSR seriously,you should strive to cover the rest of the facility if only to bring parity to Kamiti”, he remarked.
A survey conducted indicates that Kamiti holds close to two hundred footballers,some former premier league stars,Tedium included.Courtesy of the noble initiative,they and the rest can now enjoy live Kenya premier league matches as well as following through on other leagues and highlights across the globe,not forgetting the Africa nations’ cup coming up soon.Besides,the decoder provides a wide range of programs,from education to information to documentaries,vital aspects in the re-integration and rehabilitation process.
