Mombasa Governor Abdulswamad Nassir has paid bonds and cash bails for petty offenders in Mombasa.
More than 20 remandees at Jela Baridi Remand Prison benefited from the move.
“We have organised for their bonds and bail to be paid today so that they join their families for Easter and the upcoming Eid celebrations,” Nassir said during a tour of the prison on Sunday.
Most of the petty offences are largely traffic related. They include driving without a license, driving an uninsured car, obstruction and operating without t necessary badges.
Nassir was accompanied by Mombasa Remand Prison boss Mohammed Omondi, county secretary Jeizan Farouk and other executives.
The release was facilitated by the Shariff Nassir Foundation.
“This is not government’s money. You cannot spend government money to bail out prisoners. We just decided to do this as a foundation to allow you spend time with your relatives,” he said.
The foundation has for the past 15 years provided a second chance to scores of individuals who find themselves on the wrong side of the law for petty crimes.
The assistance has been accorded to all residents of the county irrespective of their religious backgrounds and ethnicity.
Additionally, the governor announced that his administration has set in motions plans to reform correctional facilities in the county.
The changes, the governor said, will focus on the rehabilitation of individuals struggling with drug abuse and crime.
“However much we build our prisons, we will not achieve much progress if the reforms don’t touch on the individual affected by these ills,” Nassir said.
“As a county government, we are building on already existing efforts to reach out to more offenders in this kind of reforms plan."
He said those in for much heavier crimes should wait for the right process of the law.
