52 new prosecutors, 25 non-legal staff inaugurated after eight weeks of training

Director of Public Prosecutions Noordin Haji. [Photo, File]

Some 52 new prosecutors and 25 non-legal staff have been inaugurated after undergoing eight weeks of training.

The prosecutors will be deployed to various parts of the country and are expected to help expedite cases to decongest prisons.

Attending the graduation ceremony were Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang'i and Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) Noordin Haji, who urged the graduands to exercise diligence in their work.

"Be firm and fair in your decision making; ensure the decisions you make stand the test of time," said the DPP.

Haji also urged the prosecutors to carry with them the values of respect and promotion of human rights, the rule of law, integrity and ethics, professionalism, fairness and impartiality.

Matiang'i assured Haji that they would work together to decongest the correctional services departments.

He added that the government loses large amounts of money hosting petty traffic offenders in prison.

"It does not make sense to hold people for traffic offences, then they go to Makadara [law courts] and pay Sh600 fine after we have spent Sh60,000 on their food," the Interior CS said.

In Kenya, there are 55,000 prisoners; however, prisons in Kenya can only hold 27,000.

To help decongest the jails, the Government is pushing for the adoption of Community Service Orders (CSO) and Probation Orders (PO) as alternative sentences for petty offenders. Under this system, petty offenders are either put under the supervision of a probation officer or on community service.