Nairobi — The government will assist the families of nine inmates who succumbed to Cholera at Kamiti prison in funeral and burial arrangements.

According to Vice President and Home Affairs minister Kalonzo Musyoka, nine prisoners died of the ailment after an outbreak was reported at the facility.

The VP denied claims that the outbreak was caused by congestion at the facility saying an inmate with a highly infectious bacterium had been the source.

"It spread very swiftly without warning," the VP said, adding that the period of the infection could have been as short as 45 minutes between the time of attack and fatality.

The VP told Parliament 81 inmates were affected but the situation was put under complete control by Sunday evening.

Six of the inmates who remain at Kenyatta National Hospital are suffering from non-cholera related ailments according to the VP.

A statement had been demanded from the VP by the chairperson of the Labour and Social Welfare committee of Parliament Ms Sophia Abdi Noor on the outbreak.

She questioned the sanitation and hygienic conditions in and around the prison.

The committee had summoned the VP to appear before it to explain the outbreak as members called on the Prime Minister Raila Odinga to coordinate an emergency response planning describing it a national problem.

Committee members said several other parts of the country were affected and it was a national problem needing concerted intervention from government authorities.

A member of the committee, Mr Gideon Konchella, accused the ministers for Public Health and Medical Services of sleeping on the job.

Mr Kalonzo said there was a shortage of fluids used to treat the ailment, blaming it on procurement processes and terming it a huge problem.