President William Ruto has ordered the remission of sentences for more than 4,500 inmates across the country.
According to a gazette notice dated May 23, 2025, the president released 2,135 minor offenders of good conduct who had been sentenced to six months in prison.
He also reduced the sentences for an additional 2,664 inmates who had less than six months remaining on their jail terms.
Attorney General Dorcas Oduor said the decision was made under Article 133 of the Constitution and section 23(1) of the Power of Mercy Act, following recommendations by the Advisory Committee on the Power of Mercy.
In April this year, Ruto granted pardons and clemency to 57 individuals serving custodial sentences in various prisons across Kenya.
In a notification from Head of Public Service Felix Koskey, it was announced that those pardoned on Monday include 56 Kenyan citizens and one foreign national. Koskey stated that the President acted on the recommendations of the Power of Mercy Advisory Committee (POMAC) in exercising the prerogative of power of mercy conferred upon the Head of State and Government by the Constitution.
“In exercising this presidential authority that breathes life into the principles of rehabilitation and restorative justice, His Excellency the President has extended the hand of clemency to fifty-six Kenyan citizens and one foreign national, all of whom were serving long jail-term sentences in various prisons in our country,” said Koskey.
He noted that Conditional Release was granted to thirty-one petitioners serving life sentences, while Conditional Release and Repatriation was granted to the foreign national, a citizen of an East African Community Partner State, who was also serving a life sentence.
“Remission and Release was granted to twenty-five individuals, allowing for their discharge upon remission of the unexpired portion of their custodial sentences,” Koskey added.
Additionally, the Head of Public Service confirmed that President Ruto extended General Amnesty to all petty offenders sentenced to six months or less, as well as to offenders serving sentences longer than six months whose remaining terms are now six months or less.
“To strengthen the arc of justice, the Head of State and Government has urged all stakeholders within the criminal justice system to explore ways in which the principles of reconciliation, restoration, rehabilitation, and reintegration into the community can be more effectively expressed and implemented,” Koskey stated in the notification.
Ruto reduced the death sentence imposed on capital offenders as at November 21, 2022, to a life sentence.
In a gazette notice dated July 19, 2023, the conviction rule was softened following a recommendation from the Advisory Committee on the Power of Mercy chaired by Attorney General Justin Muturi.
The Power of Mercy Act 2011, as enshrined in Article 133 of the Constitution of Kenya, allows the President to exercise the power of mercy in accordance with the advice of the Advisory Committee established under the clause granting a free or conditional pardon to a person convicted of an offence.
The President can also postpone the carrying out of a punishment, either for a specified or indefinite period, substitute a less severe form of punishment or remit all or part of a punishment.
The Power of Mercy committee is comprised of the AG, the Cabinet Secretary (CS) responsible for correctional services and at least five other members as prescribed by an Act of Parliament, none of whom may be a State officer or in public service.
Despite a declaration by the Supreme Court in 2017 that the mandatory death penalty for murder is unconstitutional, the courts still handed down death sentences. By the end of 2021, there were 601 people on death row and 14 death sentences had been passed that year.
In 2007 and 2015 the Kenyan parliament voted against the abolition of the death penalty (when bills were initiated by individual lawmakers, but rejected by parliament).
Kenya is among seventeen African countries which are considered “de facto abolitionist” states, meaning that they have not carried out an execution in 10 years.
The move is expected to help decongest prisons.
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