INTERIOR CS PLEDGES SUPPORT IN ONGOING REFORMS TARGETING CORRECTIONAL SERVICES 

By Pili Chimerah

Interior and National Administration Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has pledged support for ongoing reforms by the State Department for Correctional Services. 
While receiving a brief on the reform agenda by the State Department’s Principal Secretary Dr. Salome Beacco, the CS commended the State Department for improving standards within correctional facilities while complimenting ongoing initiatives and programs within the State Department meant to transform it into a correctional service of excellence.

“Such initiatives contribute to employment, food security and training of inmates so that they acquire crucial skills that will be of benefit once they complete their sentences,” the CS remarked.

Among the reforms initiated at the state department include improvement in delivery of formal and informal education for inmates, modernizing and improving Prison Industries including the successful commissioning of a maize and rice milling plant and construction of workshops through the support of partners as well as changing prison school names with the aim of avoiding stigmatization of the children learning within the institutions. 

According to the PS, the department has also embarked on the process of digitization to ensure its services as well as information are easily accessible.
“We hope to digitalize all processes which will help in having proper documentation,” the PS said. 

The PS also sought support to fully operationalize the Wanini Kireri Magereza Hospital located at the Prisons Staff Training College, Ruiru.