Kenya to free 5,000 petty offenders from jail

Kenya has announced a plan to free up to 5,000 petty offenders from the country's jails.

Interior Minister Fred Matiang'i says the plan will be rolled out between May and June in an effort to decongest prisons.

He cites a lack of resources as the key reason for the move.

According to research group Prison Insider, the number of convicted inmates in Kenya's overcrowded jails stands at around 90,000. The number of prisoners on remand is unconfirmed.

Those whose offences range from failure to pay a small fine to minor parking violations will be transferred to the community service programme.

This article originally appeared in BBC News

Photo: AFP