The government has pledged to enhance training programmes for inmates in correctional centres to reduce crime rates.
The State Department for Correctional Services said it is expanding rehabilitation programmes for inmates to equip them for the current market demands.
Correctional Services Principal Secretary Dr Salome Beacco said collaborating with institutions of higher learning would equip reformed offenders with crucial skills that would be valuable to them when they leave prisons.
Speaking during a meeting with Kenya College of Accountancy
(KCA) University vice chancellor Prof Isaiah Wakindiki, the PS noted the
importance of formal and technical training in eliminating poverty, which she
said is among the biggest causes of crime in the country.
Beacco commended formal education, noting that 11 people, under the supervision of the department, graduated with a degree in law from the University of London in November 2024.
She said another former inmate graduated with a degree in medicine, while several others had already completed diploma and certificate courses in various fields.
The vice chancellor agreed to partner with the department in developing a curriculum of courses of various durations, especially related to business and technology, to support the rehabilitation programme.
Beacco and Wakindiki discussed
other areas of support, including helping Marimanti GK prison to develop a
model agri-processing facility that will enhance food security and offer
vocational training for the inmates.
