Zapf Chancery Publishers Africa Ltd.

Chapter Title: Abstract

Book Title: Diet of Worms

Book Subtitle: Quality of Catering in Kenyan Prisons
Book Author(s): Jacqueline Cheptepkeny Korir
Published by: Zapf Chancery Publishers Africa Ltd.. (2011)
Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctvgc61kc.2

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 Abstract

C
atering in Kenyan prisons is an issue of much concern to the
government and the entire society as it results in an increase
in bad health and hardening the behaviour of prisoners. The
purpose of the study was to investigate the factors affecting the quality
of catering in selected prisons in Kenya. Little or no effort has been
done to improve catering in prisons which may have otherwise helped
in the rehabilitation of prisoners in Kenya. If the quality of catering
in Kenyan prisons is not addressed, opportunities for rehabilitating
and integrating prisoners into the mainstream society might be in
jeopardy hence the need for the study.
The objective of the study was to investigate the extent to which
the type of food served, food preparation and service affect the quality
of catering in prisons. In addition, the study sought to verify the
extent to which the menu outlined in the “first schedule” stipulated
in the Prisons Act Cap 90 was adhered to.
Purposive sampling and simple random sampling were used to
select five prisons in Kenya and the research respondents respectively.
There are 91 prisons in Kenya with a total population of 44,977
prisoners. The prisons selected were Eldoret men, Ngeria, Eldoret
women, Kamiti Maximum and Langata women prisons. The sampling
frame comprised of a population of 5,830 prisoners. A sample size
of 387 prisoners, 34 prison warders, 5 storekeepers and 5 officers’
in-charge of the selected prisons were used in the study. Instruments
for collecting primary data included researcher assisted
questionnaires, structured interview schedules, participant
observation schedules and conversations. Sources of primary data
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were prisoners, prison warders, storekeepers and officers in charge
of the selected prisons. Sources of secondary data were documents,
publications, libraries and the internet. The study used both
descriptive and inferential statistics to test the data of factors that
affect the quality of catering in prisons. Multiple regression,
independent samples t-test and one-way ANOVA were used to analyse
the data. T-tests were used to test the hypotheses.
Results of the study showed that the quality of catering is poor
with an average rate of 2 on a five point likert scale recorded on the
low level of satisfaction obtained in quality of catering in prisons.
The first three hypothesis tested revealed that all the variables
included in the study were statistically significant and therefore were
all important in explaining quality of catering in Kenyan prisons.
On comparison of the diet served in the prisons against that stipulated
in the Prisons Act Cap 90, the two diets, were found to be significantly
different from each other. This indicated the fact that what is proposed
in the Prisons Act was not what is actually implemented. The results
showed that the satisfaction levels between men and women prisons
with regards to quality of catering actually differed. The conclusion
of the research was that the quality of catering in Kenyan prisons
was poor hence, there is need to overhaul and revamp the Prisons
catering services.
The researcher recommends that the Kenya Prisons Service
Department urgently contract caterers to run the management of
catering services in all prisons. In the meantime, prison warders in
charge of kitchens should be trained in management of food and
thereafter train prisoners working in the kitchens. This may go along
way in solving problems such as poor health, spread of disease and
eventually creating opportunities for reforming prisoners and social
reintegration of prisoners and community protection. The conclusion
that the quality of catering services in the selected prisons was poor
could be extended to all Kenyan prisons since the sample was assumed
to be representative of all the prisons in Kenya.

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