AfricaPress-Tanzania: THE government is looking forward to allocating funds for the renovation of various prisons in the country since most of them are in poor condition.
Deputy Minister for Home Affairs, Eng. Hamad Masauni, told the parliament that the government is aware of poor infrastructure and challenges that face prisons across the country and that it is charting plans to make changes.
Mr Masauni was responding to Mbinga rural MP, Alexander Msuha (CCM) who wanted to know when the government would renovate Kitai prison in Mbinga District.
He said prisoners were living in poor condition due to poor infrastructure. He said the prison buildings and other infrastructure were very old and that there was a need for immediate renovations.
The deputy minister said the government was aware of poor conditions for most of the prison buildings and other infrastructure.
“We are aware of dilapidated prison buildings across the country and we are looking forward to allocating budgets for renovation,” he noted.
He said Kitai is among prisons that are in poor condition and thus needs immediate action from the government.
“We understand that Kitai prison buildings are in poor condition and the barbed wire fence is also in bad condition; The government is doing everything in its capacity to raise funds for renovating buildings,” he said.
He said the government was planning to build a brick fence at Kitai prison instead of barbed wire fence and renovate prisoners’ dormitories and improve services for prisoners, remandees and wardens.
According to the deputy minister, the government is planning to conduct the renovation in phases basing on the availability of funds.
