Deputy President Kithure Kindiki has outlined the government’s ongoing prison reforms aimed at transforming correctional facilities from punitive institutions into centres focused on rehabilitation, skills development, and reintegration of inmates into society.
Speaking during the handover of essential items to ease congestion at Nairobi West Prison on Tuesday, Kindiki said the government is intensifying efforts to improve living conditions, expand rehabilitation programmes, and upgrade infrastructure across prisons and other correctional facilities nationwide.
His remarks were delivered by the Chief of Staff in the Office of the Deputy President, Dr. Christopher Wanjau, who said the reforms are designed to ensure prisons not only confine offenders but also prepare them for life after release.
“The journey of reforming our prisons and other correctional facilities is on course to enable them to comprehensively and meaningfully rehabilitate citizens who in one way or another have been in conflict with the law,” the statement read.
Central to the reforms is the improvement of inmate accommodation, expansion of vocational training programmes, and increased investment in skills development initiatives aimed at equipping prisoners with employable abilities. The government says this approach is intended to reduce reoffending by enabling former inmates to earn a livelihood after completing their sentences.
The reforms also place strong emphasis on mentorship and reintegration programmes, with authorities seeking to strengthen support systems that help former prisoners adjust back into society and engage in productive economic activities.
Kindiki further called on the public to support the reintegration of ex-offenders, noting that the success of rehabilitation efforts depends not only on conditions within prisons but also on how communities receive individuals after their release.
“This is possible when we give them opportunities to earn an honest living from the skills, training and mentorship received through the Prisons Reforms Programme,” he said.
Correctional Services Principal Secretary Salome Beacco welcomed the reforms, describing them as a shift toward a “whole-of-government approach” aimed at transforming prisons into rehabilitation-focused institutions.
She noted that improved living conditions are essential for effective rehabilitation, saying they create an environment where inmates can meaningfully engage in correctional programmes, acquire skills, and prepare for reintegration into society.
The government says the broader reforms are part of efforts to strengthen the justice system while ensuring correctional facilities contribute to national development through rehabilitation, skills training, and social reintegration.