IMPRISONMENTS IN KENYA

Press, Volume XCIII, Issue 27989, 8 June 1956, Page 7

IMPRISONMENTS IN KENYA

Allegations About Young Girls

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) (Rec. 10 p.m.) LONDON, June 6. Allegations that African girls of 11 and 12 had been sentenced to long terms of imprisonment in Kenya caused an argument in the House of Cotomons tonight. The subject arose during a debate which the Opposition requested on Kenya, which has been under a state of emergency since the outbreak of Mau Mau terrorism three years and

a half ago. . ■ , The Minister of State (Mr John Hare) said that as far as his inform-

ation went, the allegations were untrue.

Mr Arthur Creech-Jones, a former Labour Colonial Secretary, mentioned girls of 11 and even younger being sentenced to long periods of imprisonment.

Quoting a report by Miss Eileen Fletcher. a former rehabilitation worker in Kenya. Mr Creech-Jones said that one 11-year-old girl had been Siven seven years’ imprisonment with hard labour for having taken a Mau Mau oath. When Mr Hare said the allegations of long sentences were untrue, Mr Creech-Jones jumped up to say that he had a statement signed by the Commissioner of Prisons indicating the prison numbers of two children, the nature of their offences, and the period of their imprisonment. “Not True Ages”

Mr Hare retorted: “But you have not got the girls’ ages. There is no doubt that the ages of 11 and 12 are .not the true ages.”

Mr Lennox-Boyd said that inaccuracy in the prison records was the reason for reports alleging that African girls of 11 and 12 had been sentenced to imprisonment. There were no children under the age of 14 in prison in Kenya. One boy aged 12 and 30 aged 13 were detained in camps for young detainees, but these were run as approved schools. Mr Lennox-Boyd said that during the last three years 21 boys and 16 girls under the age of 16 had been sentenced to imprisonment terms varying from less than six months to life.

Last May. the Governor of Kenya had told him tnat 21 young girls were serving prison sentences—seven aged 15. eight aged 14, five aged 13. and one aged 12, he said. Later the. Governor had telegraphed to say the ages had been wrongly quoted because of inaccuracies in the prison records. After being given a medical examination, the ages of the girls were certified to be 15 in three cases. 154 in one, 16£ in one, and 17| in another.

He could only ascribe the errors m the documents to the amount of work officials had, said Mr LennoxBoyd. The Opposition did not insist on a vote.