Members of Parliament are dissatisfied with the slow pace of reforms, with deplorable living and working conditions, underutilized land, and the rampant rise in financial scams orchestrated within Kenya Prisons.

Members of the National Assembly Constitutional Implementation Oversight Committee have, at the same time, called for an urgent audit of the Appropriations-in-Aid account, questioning transparency in how prison-generated revenue is managed across the country.

The Commissioner General of the Kenya Prisons Service, Patrick Aranduh, appeared before the committee to respond to concerns about the implementation of the Persons Deprived of Liberty Act, amid mounting questions on the state of correctional facilities.

The Committee Chairperson Manyatta MP Eric Karemba demanded clarification Aranduh on the legal provisions governing inmate labour, challenging the Commissioner to explain whether prisoners are being exploited under the guise of rehabilitation which should not be the case.

“We would like to know whether Prisoners are being exploited in the name of being rehabilitated, since this should not be the case. In China, Prisoners are used in economic building activities but are equipped with essential skills beneficial to them,” said Karemba.

Aranduh told the committee that all prison land in the country was being well utilized and that labour by inmates was currently rehabilitative not commercial in nature and it would not be fair for anyone to imagine that they were being exploited by the state since that was not the case.

Tiaty MP William Kamket raised alarm over widespread financial scams operated from behind bars and congestion in the Prisons, with Kenyans losing millions of shillings daily, seeking to know what measures have been put in place to ensure that this is brought to an end.

Aranduh acknowledged the growing concern about the financial scams done from the prisons but did not give a definitive strategy, prompting members to urge the Prisons Service to adopt technology-based monitoring and stricter internal controls to curb fraud.

“I would like to inform Parliament that prison decongestion is being addressed in collaboration with the Judiciary through the reallocation of inmates based on the nature of their offenses, but we require more systemic solutions to ensure that this is addressed effectively,” said Aranduh.

Maragua MP Mary Wamaua decried the poor condition of inmates and officers alike, with prisoners wearing torn uniforms while the Prison officers worked in hardship conditions, wondering why they could not be given allowances just like teachers working in similar conditions.

Aranduh acknowledged the deficit, stating they have distributed new uniforms countrywide, but the annual budget was not sufficient to give them new uniforms regularly, while stating that hardship allowance is only given where public service guidelines permit.

Aranduh gave a highlight of the ongoing reforms and the gradual implementation of the Moody Awori recommendations, which were started by the former Vice President in 2003, expressing confidence that they will eventually all be complied with as stipulated in the action plan.

“I would like to assure members of Parliament that the Kenya Prisons Service is committed to ensuring that all the Moody Awori reforms are achieved to ensure that we can rehabilitate prisoners to be productive members of society,” said Aranduh.