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The Government has developed a Counter Violent Extremism strategy that adopts use of collaborative efforts through the establishment of multi-sectoral approaches to address issues of violent extremism. Considering the glaring resource constraints that stand against the resolve to proactively detect, isolate and disrupt acts of violent extremism, the government has escalated engagement with partners on issues of countering violent extremism, resulting in the development of both Extremism Advocacy and Accountability Charter and the National Counter-Violent Extremism Strategy.
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dressing participants at a workshop in a Nairobi Hotel, The Principal Secretary for Correctional and Rehabilitation services Mr. Micah Powon notes that lives have been lost, way of life disrupted, people uprooted from their territorial zones, and democracies destroyed by extremist individuals and groups that reject democracy and constitutional order to satisfy selfish beliefs. But Kenya as a member of the international community has decided to restructure its institutions in a way that dissuades the perpetrators of violence from using it as a launching pad for their activities.
The Government plans to establish a new correctional facility to confine extremist offenders which will deter them from spreading their radical believes to other offenders jailed for other crimes. Currently, extremist offenders are confined in the same prison facilities.
President Kenyatta while presiding over the passing out parade for over 2300 prison warders at the Prisons Staff Training College in Ruiru, Kiambu County, said the Government remained committed to containing offenders in conditions that enable rehabilitation to fit into society and make a positive contribution to their motherland.
The President acknowledged that reforming the character of a person was extraordinarily difficult, demanding compassion and skill in discerning the character of offenders and promised to improve the terms and conditions of service for all Prison personnel, so that the importance of their work is properly recognized and compensated.
Read more: Government To Establish New Correctional Facilities
The Principal Secretary in the State department of Correctional facilities Mr. Micah Powon has promised to work closely with other stakeholders in the criminal justice system in order to decongest prison facilities countrywide.Currently the facilities hold double the expected capacity.
Mr Powon noted that the remandees were almost half of all the inmates yet majority could be out on bail.A significant number of inmates are also behind bars despite their offences attracting sentences of less than six months.
Over one third of the convicts qualify to be considered for either Community Service Orders (CSO) or Probation since they are serving less than three years, or have less than three years remaining to complete their terms.The prisons have totally no option but to take whoever the courts send to them which calls for close working relations between the two agencies. There are also several children under four years of age accompanying their mothers.
A mutual cooperation following a previous engagement with Kenya’s Probation and Aftercare Service, in a feasibility study meant to promote reforms in the Kenyan Probation system in 2006 has culminated into a development project between Kenya and Sweden Correctional Services. Probation and Aftercare Service and the Kenya Prison Service in partnership with the Swedish Prison and Probation Service (SPPS) have initiated a long-term a capacity building project in Kenya with the support of Swedish International Agency (Sida). Goal of the project is the improvement of the Probation and Prison practices andenhancement of the functioning of the rule of law in the Kenyan correctional system.