29 Inmates, Officers Earn Law And Medicine Degrees From UoN

Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi announced on Thursday that 29 inmates and prison officers graduated with degrees in law and medicine.

Among them, 28 earned law degrees from the University of London, while one graduated in medicine from the University of Nairobi.

Mudavadi also revealed a reduction in the number of inmates, from 64,000 to 60,000, attributing the decrease to collaboration with county governments that enable some inmates to serve community orders in local facilities.

“Kenya Prisons Service lost only one officer in the line of duty this year, a testament to improved safety measures within the correctional system,” Mudavadi added.

The government reported a troubling rise in femicide cases, with 100 women murdered between August and November 2024. During the same period, 7,107 cases of sexual and gender-based violence (GBV) were recorded.

“Emerging cases of femicide expose ongoing violations of women’s rights. This is currently the elephant in the room for the security sector,” Mudavadi said.

Also Read: Over 7,000 Sexual And GBV Cases, 100 Women Murders Reported In 3 Months

To address the crisis, Inspector General Japhet Koome established a specialized Missing Persons Unit under the DCI Homicide Unit. President William Ruto also directed the formation of a Presidential Working Group on Femicide, tasked with delivering actionable proposals within 90 days.

Mudavadi also cautioned against the misuse of social media to spread false narratives about lawful arrests. He assured the public that arrests are conducted within legal bounds and that officers violating these principles would face consequences.

The Interior CS highlighted increased cases of vandalism targeting power infrastructure, causing significant disruptions. Of the 114 reported cases, 81 are in court, and 33 remain under investigation.

Efforts to curb cattle rustling in the North Rift have reduced cases by 62%, thanks to the multi-agency Operation Maliza Uhalifu. The operation recovered 240 firearms and 14,598 cattle and led to the arrest of 250 suspects, including 14 political leaders.

The operation, however, came at a cost, with 179 civilian deaths and four security officers losing their lives. The government has since rebuilt 11 primary schools and plans to rehabilitate nine more before the next school term.

Mudavadi also noted an 11% increase in serious injuries from road accidents compared to last year, though fatalities among motorists and passengers decreased.

“With December being the deadliest month for road accidents, I urge all Kenyans, especially PSV drivers, to drive cautiously during the festive season,” Mudavadi said.