The number of people committed to Kenyan prisons declined significantly in 2024, falling by 15.8% to 208,971 prisoners.
This marks a notable decrease from the peak of 248,061 inmates recorded in 2023. This recent trend reverses the steady increase observed from 2020 to 2023.
The number of prisoners almost tripled between 2020 and 2023, rising from 86,119 to 248,061.
The sharpest increase occurred between 2022 and 2023, when the number of prisoners surged from 169,579 to 248,061.
This decline in 2024 represents a significant shift in the country's prison population dynamics.
The data, sourced from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics, provides a clear picture of the recent fluctuations in Kenya's penal system.
