Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi has called for increased investment in skills development, rehabilitation and employment opportunities for offenders, saying correctional facilities should serve as centres for reform and human capital development rather than places of punishment alone.
Mudavadi said equipping inmates with practical skills and creating pathways to employment and enterprise would improve their chances of reintegration, reduce repeat offending and contribute to economic growth under the government’s Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA).
Speaking on Thursday during the closing ceremony of the fourth Correctional Services Week 2026 in Nairobi, Mudavadi challenged authorities to rethink rehabilitation as a critical component of public safety, social inclusion and national development.
“At the heart of everything we do lies a deeper purpose: facilitating genuine change in human lives,” he said.
“Effective correctional services address the root causes of offending, reduce reoffending and prepare people to return as responsible members of society.”
The Prime Cabinet Secretary said rehabilitation must extend beyond prison walls, requiring coordinated support from families, communities, employers and other institutions to help former offenders rebuild their lives.
He argued that without opportunities to earn a living after release, rehabilitated individuals could struggle to reintegrate into society, undermining efforts to prevent repeat offending.
“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,” Mudavadi said.
His remarks placed renewed emphasis on the economic potential of correctional institutions, particularly their ability to equip inmates with marketable skills that can support self-employment and participation in productive economic activities.
Mudavadi also called for modernisation of the correctional system, urging stakeholders to adopt international best practices while ensuring reforms remain consistent with Kenya’s Constitution, human rights obligations and social context.
He said the success of the reform agenda would depend on implementation rather than policy announcements, warning that resolutions adopted during the three-day event must translate into measurable improvements.
“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 urged the State Department for Correctional Services, technical teams and development partners to establish clear implementation frameworks, with defined responsibilities and measurable outcomes.
State Department for Correctional Services Principal Secretary Salome Beacco said technology should be adopted not merely to digitise operations but also to improve accountability, efficiency and the dignity of people within the correctional system.
“Smart correctional governance is more than acquiring technology. It is about restoring human dignity through innovation,” Beacco said.
She said information and communication technology would help strengthen records management, reduce administrative burdens and support evidence-based decision-making.
Beacco also reaffirmed the government’s commitment to transitioning correctional facilities to liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and other clean energy solutions, citing environmental, health, economic and human rights benefits.
She called on development partners, private companies and government agencies to provide the technology, financing and expertise needed to accelerate the transition.
The 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 institutional reforms.
Mudavadi urged stronger cooperation across the justice sector, saying correctional services should ultimately be judged by the quality of services delivered, rehabilitation outcomes and the safety of communities.
He said implementing the adopted 2026 communiqué and resolutions would be essential to ensuring reforms deliver tangible benefits to offenders, correctional officers and the wider public.
