Correctional Service Week closes with renewed call for reforms

The Correctional Service Week 2026 closed on Thursday amid renewed optimism that the State Department for Correctional Services will accelerate efforts to mainstream sustainable, resource-efficient, and climate-resilient practices across the country’s correctional system.

Speaking during the closing ceremony of the fourth edition of Correctional Service Week at the Edge Convention Centre in Nairobi, Prime Cabinet Secretary (CS) Musalia Mudavadi called for increased investment in skills development and rehabilitation programmes for offenders, noting that correctional services can contribute to job creation, economic growth, and safer communities.

Mudavadi insisted that rehabilitation should focus on addressing the root causes of offending and equipping inmates with the skills and values necessary to reintegrate into society as responsible citizens.

“At the heart of everything we do lies a deeper purpose: facilitating genuine change in human lives,” established the Prime CS.

“Effective correctional services address the root causes of offending, reduce reoffending and prepare people to return as responsible members of society,” he added.

Notably, his remarks placed offender rehabilitation within the broader national economic transformation agenda, which seeks to expand opportunities, improve livelihoods, and promote inclusive development across different sections of society.

On the other hand, State Department for Correctional Services Principal Secretary (PS) Dr. Salome Beacco emphasised that digital transformation must go beyond the acquisition of technology, noting that smart correctional governance is ultimately about restoring human dignity through innovation.

According to the PS, this requires the capacity to adopt, adapt and effectively utilise appropriate innovations, upgrade professional skills, reduce administrative drudgery and fatigue, and unleash creativity across the correctional system.

“Our objective remains to leverage ICT to strengthen records management, accountability, operational efficiency, and evidence-informed decision-making,” she affirmed.

On environmental sustainability, Dr. Beacco reaffirmed the department’s commitment to transitioning all correctional facilities to Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) and other clean energy solutions in line with the government’s green agenda.

“This is not just an environmental imperative; it is a health, economic, and human rights imperative. We invite development partners, the private sector, and relevant government agencies to support this transition through appropriate technologies, financing, and technical expertise,” she rallied.

In his remarks, Petroleum Principal Secretary (PS) Kello Harsama, who also addressed the forum, underscored the importance of embracing green solutions within the correctional system.

He announced that his department was collaborating with the State Department for Correctional Services on a joint initiative to transition all Kenya Prisons Service and probation facilities from wood fuel to LPG and other clean energy alternatives.

Meanwhile, the closing ceremony brought together Commissioner General of Prisons Patrick Aranduh, Probation and Aftercare Service Secretary Shadrack Kavutai, local and international development partners, and officers drawn from across the State Department for Correctional Services.

By Michael Omondi