Prison warders will receive Sh5,000 as service allowance.

Vice-President, Mr Kalonzo Musyoka, said yesterday all officers in the Prison Department would from next month be paid the money as part of their allowances.

Another allowance of Sh10,000 for officers who served during the post-election violence would be paid this month.

Commissioner of Prisons, Mr Gilbert Omondi, at the Kamiti Maximum Prison.

Kalonzo, who was briefing the media at his Jogoo House office yesterday, further said all officers would be provided with uniform.

Prison officers have been buying uniform yet the Government gives uniform to other disciplined officers. Kalonzo said the Government would address the issues raised by prisoners, especially the housing problem.

"The Prisons Staff Housing Development Project will be accelerated to ensure that our officers live in decent homes," he said.

The minister said the Moody Awori-led committee appointed to assess the conditions in the Prisons Department would be expanded to accommodate all stakeholders.

"Who said the committee cannot be expanded? We are going to accommodate as many people as possible," Kalonzo added.

Labour minister, Mr John Munyes, and Central Organisation of Trade Union Secretary General, Mr Francis Atwoli, had on Sunday complained that they had been left out of the committee.

Meanwhile, disciplinary action will be taken against officers who took part in the strike.

Kalonzo gave the warning and said a reshuffle was in the offing.

He blamed senior officers for the mess in prisons, saying it could have been resolved a long time ago. Kalonzo said beside salaries and allowances, which the Government would look into from this month, the top officials failed to improve warders' housing conditions.

"Officers in charge of various prisons should have looked into ways of providing decent housing. They could have used the prisoners to build some houses," said Kalonzo.

Yesterday, nine senior prison officers were arrested and taken to court in connection with the strike. Among those arrested was Mr John Isack Odongo, the Deputy Commissioner of Prisons, who is also the Commandant of the Prisons Training College in Ruiru.

The arrest came four days after warders downed their tools over poor pay and squalid living conditions.

Kalonzo said no prison officer would be spared.

"The commissioner is still the boss, but we are investigating everything. Nobody will be spared," said the VP.

He claimed that corruption was rife in prisons and said his ministry would use the Kenya Anti-Corruption Commission to investigate shady deals.

Procurement, the VP pointed out, was a key area that needed an overhaul, but promised that reforms in the department would transform prisons.