BOOST TO ONGOING REFORMS AS STATE DEPARTMENT FOR CORRECTIONAL SERVICES ACQUIRE CONCRETE BLOCK MAKING MACHINES

By Nicholas Kigondu

The state department for correctional services has acquired two paving block molding and concrete block making machines as it moves to accelerate a makeover of the country’s correctional facilities.

While commissioning the equipment at the Kenya Prisons Motor vehicle depot located in Nairobi’s industrial area, Correctional services Principal Secretary Dr. Salome Beacco said the new machines will first be used to produce blocks for paving compounds within all correctional facilities in the country.

“The investment will greatly benefit correctional centres by reducing dust therefore improving the health status of our inmates and staff as well as revenue production for the government.” Observed the PS.

She said the latest development, which will see inmates and staff trained on how to operate the machines, is part of her larger reform agenda meant to transform prisons into correctional centres of excellence.

“These machines are not just tools for production; they are instruments of transformation. They align perfectly with our mission to rehabilitate and empower inmates by providing them with vocational skills that are relevant and market-oriented.” She added. 

She said the department is in the process of acquiring modern tools for use at the central workshop and the prison industries even as she challenged staff to embrace prudent fiscal management and integrity.

The paving block molding machine has a capacity to produce 2,000 blocks or 2,000 hollow bricks per 8 hours. The mixer is able to mix a one tonne mixture at a go which requires 750 kilograms of quarry dust, 250 kilograms of quarry chippings and two bags of cement to produce 75 pieces of paving blocks able to cover an area of 3 meters squared.