How government plans to transform prisons service – Matiang’i

Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang'i

Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang'i has highlighted some of the government’s plans for improving prison service and the entire correctional services system.

Matiang'i said it is part of the government's role to modernise prisons, emphasizing that the move is part of the new police reforms aimed at ensuring there is a collaborative and inclusive security sector where Kenyans are enabled to stay safe.

Matiang’i was speaking Friday morning during the launch of 100 prison vehicles at Nairobi West Prisons to ensure transport efficiency in the National Prisons service.

This follows a directive from President Uhuru Kenyatta to adopt a comprehensive approach to improve the security sector which includes paying close attention to the correctional services department.

"There has therefore been an intensified drive to address the needs of the correctional services department, I can report to you here that we have completed several buildings that were stalled for as many as 11 years and some of our prison service staff are now living in comfortable houses," said the CS.

The Interior CS also said there are plans laid down to decongest prisons in the near future.

The event was attended by Gender Principal Secretary Zeinab Hussein, Inspector General of Police Joseph Boinnet, Prison Service Commissioner General Isaiah Osugo and the National Community Service Orders Committee Chairman Hon. Justice Luka Kimaru.

“We are working in collaboration with the Ministry of Transport, the National Transport Safety Authority (NTSA) ,and  the Office of the Attorney General to ensure that we support the inspector general of Police in  enforcing the on spot fines to cut down the budget spent on remandees arrested for traffic offences, " said Matiang'i.

Earlier this week, Matiang'i was in Embu County where he led a sensitization forum on the continuing transformation and reorganization of the National Police Service (NPS) that was launched by the President in early September.

The meeting held at a Government training institute in Embu was graced by senior security officers from the counties in Mt. Kenya region.