At least 539 senior prison officers were promoted in major
changes announced by the Commissioner General of Prisons Patrick Aranduh.
He also created new ranks in the service to enhance the delivery of services.
Among those created was the rank of Assistant Superintendent of Prisons (ASP) to streamline the hierarchy within the Kenya Prisons Service and harmonize KPS ranks with those of the National Police Service (NPS).
He announced on December 4 the creation of the rank of Commissioner of Prisons (CP).
The ranks of Assistant Commissioner of Prisons (ACP) and Deputy Commissioner of Prisons (DCP) were merged to form this new rank.
The rank of Inspector of Prisons has been de-linked from the Senior Sergeant rank, creating a clearer distinction between the two ranks.
“This change harmonizes the ranking system of the Kenya Prisons Service with that of the National Police Service,” he added.
Aranduh argued the changes underscore the Kenya Prisons Service's dedication to professional development, improved ranking structures, and better service delivery.
This marks the first series of promotions under Aranduh's leadership.
He said these are part of the Human Resource recommendations
from the Maraga Report.
Among others, the National Taskforce on Improvement of Terms and
Conditions of Service and other Reforms for Members of the National Police
Service, National Youth Service and Kenya Prisons Service recommended all top
prison officers to be vetted within six months.
The report was handed over in December 2023.
The team said it established the prisons have had an annual average funding
deficit of about 40 per cent since 2008.
This has affected its institutional development.
"Worse still, unlike the case in the National Police Service,
there is no modernisation plan in place for Kenya Prisons Service,” the report
says.
It added prisons have large tracts of land that should have been utilized to
ensure self-sufficiency in food supply.
However, the farms have been run down owing to a lack of resources as well as
leadership wrangles, poor management that lacks innovation and endemic
corruption.
“In some instances, insufficient ablution and sanitation facilities force
inmates to use buckets in the poorly ventilated prison dormitories. Nothing can
be more dehumanising and offensive to the inmates’ rights to dignity, privacy
and a clean environment.”
“In many prisons across the country, the KPS officers’ living conditions are
dehumanising. As is the case with the NPS, officers in KPS and their families
live in mud housing, dilapidated, congested and condemned structures,” the
report adds.
The Maraga team said the move to vet the personnel is aimed at addressing
leadership challenges that are affecting the prisons.
“The task force recommended a fresh vetting by an independent panel to be
appointed by the President for all officers in the rank of Senior
Superintendent of Prisons and above (save for the current CGP) within six
months of publication of the report,” says the report.
It said the entry requirement into the service should be capped at a minimum
grade C minus (C-) except for candidates from marginalised areas.
To address the challenges of immaturity prevalent in the entrants, the team
says the minimum recruitment age should be raised from 18 to 21 years for the
respective services.
To be able to undertake relevant theoretical and practical
training including field attachments to ensure competency in training and
professionalism, the initial training for cadets should take not less than 15
months while the one for constables should not be less than 12 months.
As is the case with the NPS, the task force established that the stagnation of the KPS junior officers in one rank, in many cases until retirement, is a source of widespread discontent and low morale in the service.
The task force, therefore, recommends the establishment of grades of Inspector II and I and the introduction of Constable III, II, and I, and Corporal III, II, and I within the same ranks.”
The team proposed far-reaching reforms in the service including an increment of the junior officers’ salary by almost 50 percent.
