CORRECTIONAL PS MENTIONS KEY PRIORITY AREAS TO TRANSFORMING CORRECTIONAL SERVICES
By Pili Chimerah and Martha Munyambu (PCOs)
Improvement of staff and offenders’ welfare is one of the key priority areas that the State Department for Correctional Services Principal Secretary Ms. Salome M. Beacco has mentioned to be a key priority area to tackle.
She also stated that the priority area will be guided by the recommendations of the prisons and police reforms task force led by former Chief Justice of Kenya David Maraga.
She said this during the official handover ceremony on 25th, July 2023 of the outgoing PS Mary Muthoni who is currently in the State Department for Public Health and Professional Standards to her.
Other priority areas she mentioned were the Completion of a review of the existing legislations which are Prisons Act Cap 90, Borstal Act Cap 92, Probation of Offenders Act Cap 64 & Community Service Act Cap 93, Standing Orders, Standard Operating Procedures, and Legal notices establishing Prisons Farms and Industries, meeting target of 20% of correctional land under forest cover, construction of fully equipped children’s day-care facilities at all women prisons, construction, equipping, and furnishing prisons Education and Training Centers including classrooms, training workshops, libraries, laboratories, staff rooms, guidance and counseling rooms, dining halls and kitchens.
PS Beacco expressed her gratitude and honour to His Excellency the President Dr. William Ruto, for allowing her to serve Kenyans as the Principal Secretary for Correctional Services promising to be guided by the Kenya Kwanza manifesto.
" I Join this State Department fully aware of the enormity and importance of the assignment before me and the team I will be working with, as well as the high expectations of Kenya regarding the performance of this State Department,” She asserted.
She complimented the outgoing PS Mary Muthoni for her inspiring leadership skills during her tenure in the State Department.
She noted that the State Department sits at the core of National security and the wider criminal justice system which contributes to the community through the humane containment of offenders and by ascertaining that the offenders are rehabilitated, reformed and reintegrated back to the society.
PS Muthoni on her side congratulated her counterpart and thanked the team at Correctional for the support they gave her in ensuring efficient and effective service delivery.
“Thank you for the support you have given me while working at Correctional,” she said.