President Uhuru Kenyatta on Wednesday directed Interior Cabinet Secretary Joseph Nkaissery to liaise with the Commissioner of Prisons and the Chief Justice to facilitate the release of a number of prisoners.
Speaking during the passing out of recruits at the Prisons Staff Training College in Ruiru, Kenyatta urged the three to collaborate and ensure petty offenders are freed to decongest prisons.
President Kenyatta noted that some of the suspects had spent longer periods in remand than the jail terms they would have served if their cases had already been finalised.
At the same time, Kenyatta stated that the country had put in place measures to curb radicalization and violent extremism in prisons.
He urged the prison department to ensure that they not only offer retributive justice but also reform the inmates.
“Our justice system exists not just to punish offenders or to deter possible offenders from doing wrong; it exists also to encourage those who have done wrong to change, and to once more contribute meaningfully to society,” he stated.
The Head of State also commended 2699 recruits for successfully completing the nine-month training that included diploma and certificate in security and correctional science.
In 2016, Kenyatta ordered the release of over 7000 inmates during the Mashujaa Day celebrations in an effort to create more space for the corrupt.
