Borstal institutions lack key facilities to mentor minors

More than 50 years since the first borstal institution was opened in Kenya to care for young offenders, lack of staff and poor infrastructure remain a challenge.

The two borstal institutions in the country, Shimo la Tewa in Coast and Shikusa in Kakamega, were established by an Act of Parliament (Chapter 92) to rehabilitate children who had committed serious offenses but were too young to be placed with adults in regular prisons.

Even though children in the institution are expected to get proper education and counselling, the administrators have decried lack of facilities.

Inspector Lina Adoyo, who is in-charge of studies at Shikusa Borstal, laments that they lack a proper library and laboratory for practical subjects.

She adds that they are understaffed with only four TSC teachers for primary school wing and none for the secondary school.

“Whenever we want to do practicals, we go to St Monicah High School for lessons after buying our own chemicals. Secondary wing has a deficit of Chemistry and English teachers and the rest of the teachers are uniformed officers,” says Adoyo.

Irene Mungai, whose nephew was in Shikusa, says the few times they visited, the boys would complain of food portions.

“He was thin and he kept saying that being denied food was part of the punishment for the crime. He was serving a sentence for stealing,” says Mungai.

Coast regional probation officer Lucy Walukana says the surge in young people committing serious crime has pushed the government to keep expanding borstal homes and hostels.

Shikusa hosts inmates convicted from 32 counties, leaving Shimo Lawa Borstal Prison with 15 counties.

The two are the only correctional facilities for boys aged 15 but below 18 years. Girls convicted for various offences are committed to Kamae Girls, an annexure of Kamiti Maximum Prison.

Isolated and rehabilitated

The idea of having a borstal institution was borrowed from a village called Borstal in England where young people who had broken the law were isolated and rehabilitated. In Kenya, Shikusa Borstal was open to the first offender in 1963. Two years later, Shimo la Tewa was established.  

While in the institution, they are provided with blue khaki uniform. They are deployed to various classes to learn skills in different trades.

Ms Walukana says the prison authorities who take charge of the daily programme of the children know what to allocate to each one of them.

She says some are taken back to school to continue with studies.

“Some are taken to do motor vehicle mechanical, carpentry, masonry, electrical training horticulture and other important skills which will help them lead a positive life,” she says.

They wake up at 6am and take breakfast before they proceed to their daily activities. Some are assigned cleaning of the compound while others who have skills are assigned jobs such as construction works.

Despite similarities of activities with the main prison, the minors live a more comfortable life than their adult counterparts. The warders are more friendly which encourages them to change very quickly.

During their activities under the supervision of skilled prison officers, they are also supposed to undergo counseling and guidance under qualified prison officers.

“We have some children who are doing very well after undergoing training at bortstal homes and hostels. Some have established businesses which are doing well,” explains Walukana.