- The appointments followed the retirement of Flowrence Omundi and Ken Aluda.
- Maswai was the director logistics at the prisons while Kiiri headed the directorate of rehabilitation.
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The Public Service Commission has promoted two senior prison officers.
Kenya Prisons Service (KPS) Commissioner General Brig (Rtd) John Warioba made the announcement of the promotion to the rank of Deputy Commissioner General of Prisons following the retirement of Flowrence Omundi and Ken Aluda.
Those promoted are Nicholas Maswai and Jane Kirii. They wore their new ranks on Monday, May 13.
Maswai was the director of logistics at the prisons while Kiiri headed the directorate of rehabilitation. They are seasoned officers.
They will head technical and administration dockets respectively in their new appointments.
More changes are expected in the department, which is key in reforming prisoners at large.
This is as it implements albeit slowly recommendations of a report on reforms.
Most of the promotions had stagnated for a long amid complaints from within.
A national task force recommended that all top prison officers be vetted within stipulated timelines.
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 wants all top prison officers to be vetted within six months.
This 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 of the rank of Senior Superintendent of Prisons (SSP) and above (save for the current CGP) within six months of publication of the Report,” says the report by the team.
It said the entry requirement into the Service should be capped at a minimum grade C minus (C-) except for candidates from marginalized areas.
To address the challenges around immaturity prevalent in the entrants, the minimum recruitment age should be raised from 18 to 21 years for the respective Services, the team said in the report handed over to the president last year in December.
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 Taskforce 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 Taskforce, 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.”