Government developing roadmap for career growth in Kenya Prisons

By Peter Ochieng

The government is developing a roadmap aimed at ensuring career growth and progression at the Kenya Prisons Service (KPS) and other security agencies in the country.

According to the Cabinet Secretary (CS) for Interior Abraham Kithure Kindiki, the roadmap will see younger officers hold management positions.

“This roadmap will provide an opportunity for younger officers to rise and hold management positions through a clearly defined procedure and eliminate cases of corruption, favouritism and patronage,” said the CS.

He spoke on Thursday, during a session with members of the National Assembly Committee on National Cohesion and Equal Opportunities, to respond to questions on the employment opportunities in Kenya Prisons Service.

Kindiki was accompanied by Principal Secretary, Correctional Services Salome Muhia-Beacco and Commissioner General, Kenya Prisons Service John Warioba.

The CS said his officers will continue sensitizing Kenyans on the need to apply for positions in the prisons department, whenever advertised.

“In furthering equity in recruitment of Prisons officers, the State Department for Correctional Services will continue to sensitise communities across the country to apply for positions whenever they are advertised and participate in recruitment of officers at the Sub-county level.”

He admitted that corruption is normally rampant during recruitment exercises, calling for support from citizens to combat the vice.

“Citizens should provide information on officers who demand and or receive bribes for immediate action in accordance with the law. Corruption is a vice that must be dealt with firmly, decisively and ruthlessly,” stated Kindiki.

He said the current number of uniformed officers at Kenya Prison Service stands at 31,227. Male officers are 23,878 while their female counterparts are 7,349.

“Kenya Prisons Service staff represents the diversity of the people of Kenya, and there is no discrimination in employment. No ethnic community represents more than one-third of the uniformed staff population.”

Prisonstudies.org states that Kenya’s inmate population stands at 58,887 spread in about 134 prisons across the country.