Correctional Services Principal Secretary (PS) Dr. Salome Beacco has announced that the department is working with partners to help supplement ongoing efforts aimed at aligning its operations with the UN’s Nelson Mandela Rules for the humane treatment of offenders.
Speaking in Nairobi during a meeting with officials from Faraja Trust, Dr. Beacco maintained the welfare initiatives will not only restore human dignity but also improve inmate health.
Citing the He for He Triple-Decker Bed Campaign, the PS noted that the prison decongestion initiative aimed at providing 20,000 triple-decker beds for male inmates has made reformation and rehabilitation of male offenders more effective.
“The department is working with stakeholders on other areas of rehabilitation and skills development, including mental health and psychosocial support,” she said.
While pledging support for the initiatives, Faraja Trust Executive Director Astrid Meienberg revealed that they are already working on modalities of supporting the equipping of Shimo la Tewa Maximum Security Prison with beds.
In addition, Astrid said the support will also include constructing a daycare center at the Nanyuki women’s prison as well as looking into the possibility of fabricating triple-decker beds at the Nanyuki GK Prison.
Championed by the PS, the He for He Triple-Decker Bed Campaign aims to fabricate and distribute 20,000 triple-decker beds to provide proper sleeping spaces for approximately 57,000 male inmates who previously slept on prison floors.
Already, Nairobi West Prison, Mombasa Remand Prison, Kajiado Main Prison, Nairobi West Prison, and Kiambu GK Prison have already benefited from the project with at least 2,000 beds fabricated.
Meanwhile, the State Department is also enhancing partnerships as part of ongoing efforts to expand formal education, vocational training, and legal access for offenders.
Speaking earlier this week during a meeting with representatives from the International Development Law Organisation (IDLO), Dr. Beacco stated that the latest push is meant to deal with congestion, recidivism, and aid in social reintegration.
The PS noted growing interest in education, emphasizing that access to formal schooling and TVET/NITA-recognized vocational training equips inmates with practical skills, improves literacy, and supports successful reintegration into society.
During the meeting with IDLO, the PS requested support to construct and renovate multi-purpose classrooms equipped with computers, projectors, and solar-powered internet connectivity, adding that the facilities will also serve as counselling centers and virtual courtrooms, minimizing inmate transport, expediting judicial proceedings, and helping decongest correctional facilities.
On his part, the IDLO Representative Adam Njama commended the department’s rehabilitation efforts and pledged support toward expanding formal education, vocational training, and technology-driven access to justice.
By Michael Omondi
