Kakamega: The government is set to establish a premier college to be known as the Kenya Correctional Service College to offer training on correctional service matters. The College, to be under the State Department for Correctional Services, shall be a premier institution in teaching, training, innovation, research and development in education and training on correctional matters.
According to Kenya News Agency, the technical committee vice chairperson, Senior Assistant Commissioner General of Prisons and Commandant at the Prisons Staff Training College, Angus Masoro, stated that the college is part of a recommendation in the Correctional Service Bill of 2025 currently undergoing public validation. He emphasized that the establishment of the college does not mean the discontinuation of existing prison staff training colleges. Instead, it aims to professionalize correctional services, which have historically relied on external institutions, including the Kenya School of Government, for staff training.
Masoro further highlighted the college's potential to attract other personnel for training, reinforcing its authority in the field of correctional services. Speaking in Kakamega town during the public validation forum, he mentioned that the proposed Bill also aims to merge the Prison Service, Probation, and After-care Service to form the Department of Correctional Service.
The contentious issue of conjugal visits for inmates was also discussed. Masoro noted that this subject has not been fully addressed in existing or proposed regulations. Additionally, there is a proposal to accommodate intersex individuals in their own institution, separate from male and female populations, as they are currently confined within one institution but separately.
Mr. Michael Matekwa, a Probation Officer and member of the Technical Committee on the Development of the Legal and Policy Framework for the Correctional Service, highlighted that the legal and policy mandates in the field have not been reviewed for about 100 years. He described the current efforts as a unique opportunity to align new laws with the constitution of 2010, international instruments, and good practices in offender management.