Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi has called for increased investment in skills development and rehabilitation programmes for offenders, saying correctional services can support job creation, economic growth and safer communities.
Mudavadi said equipping inmates with practical skills and creating pathways to employment and entrepreneurship would help them reintegrate into society while supporting the government’s Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA).
He made the remarks on Thursday during the closing ceremony of the fourth Correctional Services Week 2026 at the Edge Convention Centre in Nairobi.
“At the heart of everything we do lies a deeper purpose: facilitating genuine change in human lives,” Mudavadi said.
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He added that effective correctional services should address the causes of offending, reduce reoffending and prepare inmates to return to society as responsible citizens.
The Prime Cabinet Secretary emphasised the need to connect rehabilitation programmes conducted in correctional facilities with support systems in families and communities.
He said successful reintegration requires coordinated efforts to help former offenders access employment, establish businesses and avoid returning to criminal activities.
Mudavadi argued that correctional institutions should do more than keep offenders in custody, noting that they could contribute to human capital development and inclusive economic growth.
“By equipping offenders with relevant skills, promoting productive engagement and opening pathways to employment and enterprise, correctional services contribute directly to inclusive growth, human capital development and safer communities,” he said.
He further maintained that offenders could become productive members of society if given appropriate rehabilitation and reintegration support.
Mudavadi also urged the government and its partners to modernise correctional services, saying an efficient and rehabilitative system was important to Kenya’s ambition of becoming a globally competitive and prosperous nation.
He called for the adoption of international best practices while ensuring that reforms remained consistent with Kenya’s Constitution and social context.
The three-day Correctional Services Week was held under the theme, “Transforming Correctional Services through Technology and Green Solutions.”
The event brought together government officials, justice sector representatives and development partners to discuss reforms aimed at improving correctional institutions.
Mudavadi said the success of the reform agenda would depend on implementation rather than policy announcements.
He urged stakeholders to translate the resolutions adopted during the event into practical measures with measurable outcomes.
“The real test of any reform agenda is implementation. That is an important milestone, but it must mark the beginning of action, not the end of conversation,” he said.
He called on the State Department for Correctional Services, technical teams and other stakeholders to establish a clear implementation framework outlining responsibilities and expected results.
He also urged development partners to sustain their support beyond the annual event and align their interventions with the department’s priorities.
State Department for Correctional Services Principal Secretary Salome Beacco said digital transformation should focus on improving service delivery and protecting human dignity rather than simply acquiring new technology.
She called for investment in appropriate innovations, professional skills development and systems that reduce administrative workloads while improving efficiency.
“Our objective remains: to leverage ICT to strengthen records management, accountability, operational efficiency and evidence-informed decision-making,” Beacco said.
The digital transformation agenda is intended to strengthen institutional accountability, improve records management and support decisions based on reliable information.
Beacco also reaffirmed the government's commitment to transitioning correctional facilities to liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and other clean energy solutions.
She said the transition was important for environmental sustainability, public health, economic efficiency and the protection of human rights.
“This is not just an environmental imperative; it is a health, economic, and human rights imperative,” she said.
She invited development partners, private sector organisations and relevant government agencies to support the transition through appropriate technologies, financing and technical expertise.
Mudavadi formally declared the fourth Correctional Services Week 2026 closed, urging stakeholders to strengthen cooperation across the justice sector.
He said correctional services reforms should be assessed through the quality of services delivered, the effectiveness of rehabilitation, the sustainability of institutions and improvements in community safety.
He also emphasised the importance of professional leadership, institutional ownership and correctional officers who understand their responsibilities in implementing reforms.
The event concluded with the adoption of the Correctional Services Week 2026 Communiqué and Resolutions, which Mudavadi said should guide concrete action in the sector.
He urged stakeholders to ensure the commitments translate into tangible benefits for correctional officers, offenders and the wider public.
