NAIROBI, Kenya – The Principal Secretary for Corrections Services, Salome Beacco, has unveiled an ambitious plan to digitise all services within the department by the end of 2025.
In an interview on Tuesday, Beacco outlined key initiatives aimed at transforming the prisons and probation systems through technology.
Beacco announced that the department is in the final stages of implementing a comprehensive digitisation campaign, which will bring all programmes online.
This initiative, in partnership with various stakeholders and backed by the World Bank, will cover all 136 prisons across the country.
“I am happy last year we formed a committee and developed a concept note which we submitted to the ICT department and we have now been boarded through a World Bank programme to digitise all our programmes in all the 136 prisons across the country,” Beacco said.
The digitisation effort aligns with President William Ruto’s agenda to enhance the efficiency and accessibility of government services.
Beacco also addressed the department’s commitment to improving the welfare of both staff and inmates.
She highlighted an ongoing programme to provide beds and mattresses for male inmates, similar to the facilities already available to female inmates.
“All our female inmates are equipped with beds, mattresses and blankets, but not with male inmates. We have started a programme to help our male inmates improve their living standards as required by the Mandela Rules,” she explained.
The initiative includes the introduction of triple-decker beds for male inmates, with plans to complete the project by year-end through partnerships with development partners and corporates.
In tackling the issue of land encroachment, Beacco revealed ongoing efforts to reclaim prison land.
Collaborating with the National Lands Commission and the Ministry of Lands, the department has made progress in recovering land, despite some cases still being in court.
“The recovery is not at the pace we would have wanted, but it’s a work in progress,” Beacco noted.
The reclaimed land will be used to expand prison enterprises, particularly in agriculture, to support food production through initiatives like orchard farming and seed cultivation.
Efforts to decongest prisons have also seen notable success, with inmate numbers dropping from 64,000 to 59,900.
The department is working with governors across the 47 counties to place petty offenders under probation, engaging them in community service.
Beacco praised the equipping of prison workshops with modern tools, thanks to development partners, enhancing the department’s ability to produce high-quality furniture for government use.
However, she acknowledged that budget cuts had affected furniture orders last year, expressing hope for improvement with future budget reviews.
“Most orders had been placed, but following the budget cuts, it meant that the furniture would not be bought, but we hope the situation would improve when budgets are reviewed this year,” Beacco said.
In an interview on Tuesday, Beacco outlined key initiatives aimed at transforming the prisons and probation systems through technology.
Beacco announced that the department is in the final stages of implementing a comprehensive digitisation campaign, which will bring all programmes online.
This initiative, in partnership with various stakeholders and backed by the World Bank, will cover all 136 prisons across the country.
“I am happy last year we formed a committee and developed a concept note which we submitted to the ICT department and we have now been boarded through a World Bank programme to digitise all our programmes in all the 136 prisons across the country,” Beacco said.
The digitisation effort aligns with President William Ruto’s agenda to enhance the efficiency and accessibility of government services.
Beacco also addressed the department’s commitment to improving the welfare of both staff and inmates.
She highlighted an ongoing programme to provide beds and mattresses for male inmates, similar to the facilities already available to female inmates.
“All our female inmates are equipped with beds, mattresses and blankets, but not with male inmates. We have started a programme to help our male inmates improve their living standards as required by the Mandela Rules,” she explained.
The initiative includes the introduction of triple-decker beds for male inmates, with plans to complete the project by year-end through partnerships with development partners and corporates.
In tackling the issue of land encroachment, Beacco revealed ongoing efforts to reclaim prison land.
Collaborating with the National Lands Commission and the Ministry of Lands, the department has made progress in recovering land, despite some cases still being in court.
“The recovery is not at the pace we would have wanted, but it’s a work in progress,” Beacco noted.
The reclaimed land will be used to expand prison enterprises, particularly in agriculture, to support food production through initiatives like orchard farming and seed cultivation.
Efforts to decongest prisons have also seen notable success, with inmate numbers dropping from 64,000 to 59,900.
The department is working with governors across the 47 counties to place petty offenders under probation, engaging them in community service.
Beacco praised the equipping of prison workshops with modern tools, thanks to development partners, enhancing the department’s ability to produce high-quality furniture for government use.
However, she acknowledged that budget cuts had affected furniture orders last year, expressing hope for improvement with future budget reviews.
“Most orders had been placed, but following the budget cuts, it meant that the furniture would not be bought, but we hope the situation would improve when budgets are reviewed this year,” Beacco said.
