Commissioner General of the Kenya Prisons Service, Patrick Aranduh when he appeared before the Constitutional Implementation Oversight Committee/PHOTO: National Assembly
MPs have expressed dissatisfaction with the pace of reforms in prisons, citing deplorable living conditions of inmates and deteriorating welfare of prison officers.
Members of the Constitutional Implementation Oversight Committee (CIOC) further flagged underutilised land and a rampant rise in scams allegedly run from within prisons.
Embakasi Central MP Mejja Donk Benjamin called for an urgent audit of the Appropriations-in-Aid (AiA) account, questioning transparency in how prison-generated revenue is managed.
Committee chair, Eric Karemba, demanded clarity on the legal provisions governing inmate labour, challenging the Commissioner General of the Kenya Prisons Service, Patrick Aranduh to explain whether prisoners are being exploited under the guise of rehabilitation.
“Prisoners could be productive assets. China uses them to build the economy, but equips them with skills. What’s your policy framework?” posed Nambale MP Geoffrey Mulanya, advocating for a more structured approach to rehabilitation and economic integration.
Aranduh had appeared before the Constitutional Implementation Oversight Committee (CIOC) to respond to concerns over implementation of the Persons Deprived of Liberty Act, amid mounting questions on the state of correctional facilities, the use of prison land, and the welfare of both inmates and officers.
Aranduh maintained that all prison land is being utilised, and that labour by inmates was currently rehabilitative, not commercial.
“We do not have idle land; it’s all in use. Inmates are engaged in work for rehabilitation, not production,” he said, adding that the Correctional Services Bill proposing structured labour is still under review.
Tiaty MP William Kamket raised alarm over widespread scams operated from behind bars and the congestion of prisons.
“The scamming is rampant and damaging public trust. What concrete measures are in place to stop this?” he pressed.
In response, the Commissioner General acknowledged the growing concern but did not give a definitive strategy, prompting members to urge the service to adopt technology-based monitoring and stricter internal controls to curb fraud.
Aranduh noted that prison decongestion is being addressed in collaboration with the Judiciary through the reallocation of inmates based on the nature of their offences, but added that more systemic solutions are required.
Maragua MP Mary Wamaua decried the poor condition of inmates and officers alike.
“Prisoners are in tatters, almost in nakedness. Our officers live in hardship. Why can’t they receive allowances like teachers?” she asked.
