NAIROBI — Kenya’s top prisons official is calling for deeper partnerships and fresh thinking to fix a system she admits is overstretched and overdue for reform.
Speaking in Nairobi on Tuesday, Principal Secretary for Correctional Services Dr Salome Beacco said Kenya’s correctional system must shift from a focus on punishment to one rooted in dignity, rehabilitation, and second chances.
“Real, lasting change is never achieved in isolation,” she told a gathering of diplomats, prison officials, civil society groups, and business leaders. “It is forged in the spirit of collaboration.”
The forum, held under the theme Partnerships for Impact, focused on how to modernise Kenya’s prisons and probation services. Dr Beacco called the mission “a moral duty” and a strategic need for public safety and national stability.
Each year, more than 55,000 people are admitted into Kenyan prisons. Another 100,000 are placed under non-custodial sentences, including probation and community service. But the system is still straining, and resources are tight.
The PS urged the country to look beyond statistics and see the humanity in every inmate. “Let us foster open dialogue, co-create solutions, and measure success not just in numbers, but in lives changed and communities rebuilt,” she said.
Dr Beacco laid out three pillars guiding current reforms: strengthening legal and institutional frameworks, enhancing rehabilitation and social protection, and promoting economic empowerment with environmental sustainability.
The department also plans to digitize services by rolling out a new offender management system part of a broader effort to align with Kenya’s 2010 Constitution and international human rights standards.
The reforms come at a time when Kenya’s justice system is under growing pressure to modernise. Rights groups have for years raised concerns over overcrowding, outdated facilities, and limited support for former inmates rejoining society.
Dr Beacco was frank about the stakes. “This journey requires all of us,” she said. “It’s time to rethink not just how we punish, but how we rebuild.”
