Narok Senator Ledama Ole Kina has proposed the privatization of all prison facilities in the country, signalling alarm among staff working with the Kenya Prisons Service (KPS).
If prisons are privatized, it means that the private investors may decide to lay off some workers if the investor wants to cut costs or restructure, erase roles that are deemed unnecessary, or the workers reject the new terms. This could spell doom for the over 31,000 uniformed and auxiliary staff working for the agency in 140 prisons around the country.
However, in a statement on his official X account on Monday, June 16, the lawmaker claimed that the privatization of the facilities will restore dignity in prisons.
According to Ledama, after the facilities have been privatized, the mistreatment of prisoners will come to an end, and they will also have access to better healthcare and food, just like any other Kenyan.
"It's high time Kenya privatizes all its prisons. Even those who have committed crimes are human beings and should be treated as such! They deserve access to proper medical care and nutritious food," the lawmaker said.
Kenya's prison system comprises 140 prisons, which include 134 institutions for adult offenders and 6 for youthful offenders.
According to data from the KPS, the current prisoner population in Kenya stands at 54,000, of whom 48 per cent are pre-trial detainees, whilst the remaining ones are sentenced prisoners.
This marks the second time in the past seven months the government has proposed reforms in the correction service in a bid to ensure the humane treatment of prisoners.
According to the State Department for Correctional Services, in its Strategic Plan 2023-2027, the government aims to equip correctional facilities with more healthcare centres and medics to ensure that both the staff and the inmates receive quality healthcare.
Additionally, the government revealed plans to establish specialised mental health treatment wings in every prison to combat mental health challenges among inmates.
Furthermore, the state department claimed that over 11,000 uniformed officers and 600 probation officers will be recruited and trained during the plan period, to reinforce security in these facilities.
“The State Department enhanced capacity development through recruiting, training, and deploying 11,527 uniformed officers, 233 Civilian staff (chaplains), and 600 probation officers,” part of the plan stated.
