Doctors to campaign against torture

Kenyan doctors have launched a campaign to stop torture and the inhuman treatment of prisoners and accused people, the ‘East African’ weekly newspaper reported. The campaign, launched by Mohamed Said, chairman of the human rights committee of Kenya Medical Association (KMA), would address issues that contributed to the abuse of prisoners, including the poor conditions under which prison warders work. The organisation recommended the establishment of a standing commission to hear complaints about the treatment of prisoners, as well as the use of non-custodial sentences to punish petty offenders. It also suggested an increase in prisoners’ daily dietary allowances and the adoption of suitable prison uniforms, the ‘East African’ reported. The Law Society of Kenya (LSK) has long encouraged Kenya’s medical community to be more vocal in condemning human rights abuses, especially since it is doctors who are usually first to come into contact with torture victims.