DP Gachagua now wants prisons land used to promote agriculture

Deputy President
Rigathi Gachagua has asked the Prisons Department to use facilities of the
penal institutions in the country to promote agriculture, industrialization and
contribute to the realization of the food security agenda.

The DP said the
department has potential of becoming self-sustaining in food supply and profitable
because prisons have large tracts of land.

“Operationalize
the prisons industry and work with private people in marketing the furniture
products. The prison industry can be profitable,” he said.

“Create a
revolving fund and make prisons self sustainable. There is no reason why they
should not produce enough food for inmates instead of buying the foodstuffs and
selling the surplus. Penal institutions have huge tracts of land.”

The Deputy
President spoke on Wednesday at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre
(KICC) in Nairobi after launching the Correctional Services Week.

He was accompanied
by the Principal Secretary for the State Department of Correctional Services
Salome Muhia-Beacco, Commissioner-General for Prisons Brigadier (Rtd) John
Kibaso Warioba, Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei, among others.

While praising the
department for transforming lives of offenders, rehabilitating and
reintegrating them in the society, Gachagua asked the prison officers to also
participate in the Greening Kenya Initiative whose aim is planting 15 billion
trees by 2032.

“Our
responsibility extends beyond the rehabilitation of individuals to the
protection of our environment. The focus areas include the Greening Kenya
initiative, establishing nurseries in various correctional stations and
fostering innovation in regenerative enterprises. By integrating environmental
consciousness into our practices, we are ensuring a sustainable legacy for
future generations,” he stated.

At the event, the DP
heard success stories of Correctional Services from ex-prisoners Dr Justin
Mabuka, a veterinary doctor, and Edwin Nyaga, a fourth year Civil Engineering
student at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology.

The pair narrated
how the prison’s probation department enabled them to pursue their studies
while in jail.

Gachagua further
added that effective community safety is a collaborative effort that involves both
state and non-state actors.

The Deputy
President further added that soon he will initiate debate with independent
constitutional commissions and Parliament on issuance of Certificate of Good
Conduct to ex-convicts.

He noted that
former inmates have been facing difficulties in acquiring Certificate of Good
Conduct that may enable them to get employment.