About 1, 300 Kenyans are languishing in prisons in foreign countries, Foreign Affairs Ministry has revealed.
Of these, 478 have been convicted while the rest are still waiting for their fate to be determined.
Foreign Affairs CS Monicah Juma yesterday told Journalists that most of them face drug related and communication fraud charges.
She said about 151 Kenyans are jailed within East Africa.
Kenyans jailed in Tanzania are 79, followed by Uganda with 57 and Ethiopia 15.
Further, 80 Kenyans have been jailed in China while the rest have been imprisoned in Malaysia, Thailand and other West African countries.
Juma noted in all these cases, most of the incarcerated Kenyans are serving life sentences.
“Most of these prisoners are serving life imprisonment but we are working as a government to see if we can sign treaties for these prisoners to complete their terms here on Kenyan soil,” she said as quoted by the Star.
She said the 1, 300 prisoners have receiving consular services from Kenyan embassies in the countries where they have been incarcerated.
“Our Kenyan embassies are providing consular services to all the 1,300 inmates”. She said under her leadership, and with government support, they are committed to secure all Kenyans wherever they are.”
Juma underscored her ministry will do everything possible to ensure the Kenyans held captive in foreign land come back home, further dismissing claims that government has neglected its citizens held in detention abroad.
Majority of the accusations emanate from distressed families whose kin are locked up in Saudi Arabia.
But, offered Juma, “My ministry will continue working to improve the framework for securing the interests of Kenyans abroad; and for enabling Kenyans to participate in the development of their motherland at home.
“We shall fast-track the negotiations of frameworks that protect Kenyans when they are abroad, endeavor to assist them and also inform and urge them to undertake due diligence in order to avoid situations that could be harmful to them,” she added.
Just recently, a family from Kisauni in Mombasa appealed for government’s intervention to bring back their daughter who has been detained in Saudi Arabia for the last two years.
Lavina Mapenzi Ngolo according to her family has been detained in a Saudi Prison where she awaits a death sentence for allegedly being in love with a fellow employee.