Prisons officials reshuffled, Provincial Commanders recalled

By Geoffrey Mosoku and Cyrus Ombati

Nairobi, Kenya: Prisons Commissioner General Isaiah Osugo has made sweeping changes in the department that saw him appoint three new directors, five regional commanders and 47 county prison commanders.

Former Rift Valley Provincial Prisons Commandant John Nkiria now becomes the new director of administration and replaces Rose Moturi. Moturi has been appointed as the first woman director of operations. Josephat Ituka has been appointed director of Prisons Industries to replace Francis Makathimo who retired last year.

Nkiria, Moturi and Ituka are in the rank of deputy commissioner.

Osugo says the changes are in line with the new constitution which abolished provinces and created counties and that all the 8 Provincial Prison Commanders have been recalled with some deployed to man these new regions.  

“These are normal changes within the department,” the commissioner said adding that the move will seek to strengthen the department to be able execute its mandate in providing correctional services and taking them close to the people.

All the 47 counties will each have a commander who reports to regional commander. Osugo says he has created five regions.

“There are challenges especially in the counties where the commanders have been posted which lack offices but we will overcome it,” he added.

The five are Nairobi and Central; North Eastern and Coast; Western and Nyanza have been merged to make the three regionals while Rift Valley and Eastern complete the list of the other two regions.

David King’oo has been appointed Regional commander - Central, while David Ogore will man Eastern region with Titus Too becoming the new boss at Industrial Area allocation and remand prison. He replaces Pauline Wanja who moves to Langata women on the same capacity.

James Kodieny will be in charge of Coast and north eastern as Regional Commander while Kamore Gicheru is appointed the deputy regional commander for Eastern.

Kamiti Prisons boss Maweu Yuma has been promoted to deputy director of operations. Former Langata women officer in charge Margret Ngunjiri becomes the deputy county commander for Nairobi region.

Henry Kisingu has been redeployed from the headquarters to replace Maweu as the in charge in Kamiti while Wilson Okomba has been appointed the new Kibos prisons boss.