Prisoners grow their own food

BIHUTE jail in Eastern Highlands is keen on smart food growing programme and has already dug into its backyard  as early as March this year.
The smart security management and rehabilitation training food growing exercise in Correctional Services is practised in all jails to supplement the  detainees normal rations.
Bihute prison, for the past couple of years was active in this programme and saw impressive results and continued this year.
The prison had again continued on focusing in growing as much garden crops and food in a small land it has to supplement the detainees’ normal rations in which all the sections within the institution ensured that the programme is sustained.
The prison cultivated and planted more than 3,000 sweet potatoes and 2,500 cassavas.
Sixteen bags weighing 50kg each with a market value at K800 was harvested and supplied to both male and female mess during Easter.
The prison has also embarked on tree crops such as vanilla, coffee and citrus while the jail also runs a beekeeping project.
At the end of last year, the prison sold potatoes to CS officers and, during the World Food Day organised by the Department of Agriculture and Livestock, the prisoners harvested more than 1,000 pineapples, 1,500 cassavas and sold 1,000 coffee seedlings to local farmers from 13,000 seedlings.
Twelve bags of beans weighing 90kg were harvested and supplied to the messes for the detainees’ own consumption.