The family of Isaiah Osugo on Tuesday, January 10, confirmed that the former Commissioner of Prisons passed on while receiving treatment in Nairobi.
The family revealed that the former prison boss died at the age of 67 after a long battle with cancer.
The former commissioner was admitted for cancer treatment, during which he stayed in Intensive Care Unit (ICU) for more than a week before passing away.
Osugo is known for his transformational leadership during his reign as Commissioner of Prisons between September 2008 and 2019 when he retired from the service.
He was a career policeman and was applauded for spearheading reforms at the Kenya Prisons Service.
During his appointment as Commissioner of Prisons, former President Mwai Kibaki asked Osugo to kick-start prison reforms that would ensure that both officers and inmates were well taken care of.
Notably, Osugo made sweeping prison reforms in the first month after taking reins by reshuffling 53 of his top officers.
Former President Uhuru Kenyatta, later, extended Osugo's term for two years in 2016 after he attained the mandatory retirement age of 60.
The matter was later challenged but Labour and Employment Relations Court sided with the president and cleared Osugo to serve for two more years.
"This court determines that the President did not break any law by extending the term for the Commissioner of Prison Services," Labour and Employment Relations Court declared.
Prior to his appointment as Commissioner of Prisons, Osugo served as Provincial Criminal Investigations Officer in Nairobi.
Osugo will be remembered for his no-nonsense approach to leadership and his unwavering stand on matters touching on integrity.
