Inmates to get NITA certificates after exams, says PS

Prisoners who sit for National Industrial Training Institute exams will soon be able to get certificates from the institution as the state seeks to clear debts that have blocked the same.

Correctional Services PS Salome Beacco on Wednesday said they are nearing the completion of the payment of debts owed to Nita.

Beacco who spoke at the Kamiti Maximum prison during the receipt of donations from Accept International, a Japanese NGO, said they are collaborating with the department of industry where every inmate will be getting certificates from Nita.

The PS said the certificates will help the inmates once they get out of jail to easily get a job to fend for themselves and their families.

“We want them to get certificates so that when they come out and build themselves, you can be entrepreneurs because that is the essence of Kenya Kwanza government that everybody must be able to stand on their own two feet and get an income,” the PS said.

She said their mandate is to ensure their clients are reformed, rehabilitated and are properly integrated back into society.

The PS said they want to increase the number of workshops, equipments inside prisons and have requisitioned more equipment for rehabilitation.

“I urge you to embrace the technical training as we are adding more equipment and workshops so that you can continue to train to the various technical courses that we are offering inside prisons,” she said.

Beacco said they have introduced a Redmap organisation who will offer training in leather works so that they can start producing leather products.

She said in collaboration with director industries, they have agreed to put up a cabro making machine for making cabros for prisons and use it for more vocational training areas and ideas.

The PS however said through the affordable housing project, the department has embarked on building decent housing for prison officers and officials.

Accept International country director Hassan Abdikadir said their mandate is to rehabilitate especially terror extremists and young people in the communities that are at risk of being radicalised.

“We help them by providing education, awareness and also giving them the support they need so that they do not end up in radicalisation groups,” he said.

Accept International has conducted projects in Kamiti Maximum prison and Shimo la tewa prison worth Sh2 million each that include construction of counselling rooms, renovations of vocational training rooms, care counselling by utilising constructed counselling facilities, training of trainers for prisons and probation officers, provision of vocational training tools, improvement of sanitation and sewerage and installation of CCTV cameras to enhance security inside the prisons.