The Principal Secretary for Correctional Services, Dr. Salome Beacco, has called for strengthened partnerships and enhanced collaboration to drive reforms in Kenya’s correctional system, emphasizing that transformation can only be realized through collective effort.
Speaking at a stakeholder forum held at a Nairobi hotel, Dr. Beacco stressed the importance of working together to build a more rehabilitative and inclusive correctional framework. The meeting, convened under the theme “Partnerships for Impact,” brought together key players including members of the diplomatic corps, Kenya Prisons Service, Probation and Aftercare Services, civil society organizations, and the private sector.
“Our presence here affirms a vital truth: real, lasting change is never achieved in isolation. It is forged in the spirit of collaboration,” said Dr. Beacco. “That purpose is clear: to create pathways for rehabilitation and reintegration that are effective, inclusive, and sustainable for the common good.”
The PS described rehabilitation as not just a moral obligation but a strategic necessity for national stability, public safety, and inclusive development.
She noted that more than 55,000 individuals are admitted into custodial correctional facilities annually, with over 100,000 placed under non-custodial supervision. Despite the large numbers, she urged stakeholders to look beyond statistics and instead focus on each individual’s potential for reform and reintegration.
“Let us foster open dialogue, co-create solutions, and measure success not just quantitatively but by changed lives and restored communities,” she urged.
Dr. Beacco outlined three strategic pillars guiding the department’s transformation agenda:
Legal and institutional strengthening
Rehabilitation and social protection
Economic empowerment with environmental sustainability
As part of the ongoing reform process, the PS reaffirmed the department’s commitment to align its operations with the Constitution of Kenya 2010 and international human rights standards. She also revealed plans to digitize correctional services through the development of an Offender Management Information System, aimed at improving service delivery and accountability.
The meeting concluded with a renewed commitment among stakeholders to build synergies and support policy frameworks that enhance rehabilitation and reintegration, ensuring the correctional system becomes a pillar of social justice and national development.