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Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi has called for increased investment in skills development and rehabilitation programmes in correctional institutions, saying the initiatives could boost job creation, economic growth and community safety.
Mudavadi said equipping offenders with marketable skills and creating pathways to employment and entrepreneurship would improve their reintegration into society while supporting the government’s Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA).
Speaking on Thursday during the closing ceremony of the fourth Correctional Services Week at the Edge Convention Centre in Nairobi, Mudavadi said rehabilitation should address the root causes of offending and prepare inmates to return to society as responsible citizens.
“At the heart of everything we do lies a deeper purpose: facilitating genuine change in human lives,” he said.
He noted that effective correctional services should go beyond confinement to reduce reoffending and provide inmates with the skills and support necessary to rebuild their lives.
“By equipping offenders with relevant skills, promoting productive engagement and opening pathways to employment and enterprise, correctional services contribute directly to inclusive growth, human capital development and safer communities,” Mudavadi said.
He added that offenders should not be written off by society, arguing that with proper rehabilitation and support, they could make meaningful contributions to their communities after serving their sentences.
“They are not dens for condemned people. Offenders can be disciplined to become better people with great contribution and impact within societies once they are integrated back to communities,” he said.
The Prime Cabinet Secretary emphasised the need for continuity between custodial and non-custodial interventions, saying rehabilitation should extend beyond prison walls to involve families, communities and other support systems.
He said coordinated reintegration programmes were essential to helping former offenders access economic opportunities and avoid returning to criminal activities.
Mudavadi also called for the modernisation of correctional services, describing an efficient and rehabilitative system as an important component of Kenya’s ambition to become a globally competitive and prosperous nation.
“A modern, efficient and rehabilitative system is one of the quiet pillars of Kenya’s ambition to become a globally competitive and prosperous nation,” he said.
He urged authorities to draw lessons from international best practices while ensuring reforms remained consistent with Kenya’s constitutional values and social context.
The three-day Correctional Services Week was held under the theme, “Transforming Correctional Services through Technology and Green Solutions,” bringing together government officials, justice sector representatives and development partners to discuss reforms in correctional institutions.
Mudavadi said the success of the proposed reforms would depend on implementation rather than policy announcements, urging stakeholders to translate the resolutions adopted during the event into measurable improvements.
He said the adoption of the Correctional Services Week 2026 Communiqué and Resolutions should mark the beginning of concrete action.
“The real test of any reform agenda is implementation,” he said. “That is an important milestone, but it must mark the beginning of action, not the end of conversation.”
He called on the State Department for Correctional Services, technical teams and other stakeholders to establish a clear implementation framework with defined responsibilities and measurable outcomes.
Mudavadi also urged development partners to sustain their engagement beyond the annual event and align their support with the department’s priorities.
He said successful transformation required institutional ownership, professional leadership and correctional officers committed to implementing reforms.
The Prime Cabinet Secretary further underscored the importance of upholding human rights, strengthening public institutions and adhering to the rule of law, saying justice should remain a guiding principle in the country’s domestic and international engagements.
He maintained that the effectiveness of correctional services should be assessed by the quality of services delivered, the extent of rehabilitation achieved and the safety of communities.
“Ultimately, success will not be measured by the number of policies written or systems installed. It will be measured by the quality of service delivered, the depth of rehabilitation achieved, the sustainability of our institutions and the safer, more hopeful communities we help create,” he said.
State Department for Correctional Services Principal Secretary Salome Beacco said digital transformation in correctional institutions should prioritise human dignity, accountability and operational efficiency rather than merely acquiring new technology.
Beacco said smart correctional governance required institutions to adopt and effectively utilise appropriate innovations, upgrade professional skills, reduce administrative burdens and encourage creativity among staff.
“Our objective remains: to leverage ICT to strengthen records management, accountability, operational efficiency and evidence-informed decision-making,” she said.
On environmental sustainability, Beacco reaffirmed the government’s commitment to transitioning correctional facilities to liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and other clean energy solutions.
She said the transition was necessary not only for environmental protection but also for improving health, reducing costs and safeguarding human rights.
“This is not just an environmental imperative; it is a health, economic, and human rights imperative,” she said, calling on development partners, the private sector and relevant government agencies to support the initiative through technology, financing and technical expertise.
Mudavadi formally declared the fourth Correctional Services Week 2026 closed, urging stakeholders across the justice sector to strengthen cooperation and ensure the adopted resolutions deliver tangible benefits to correctional officers, offenders and the wider public.
