Members of the Parliament (MPs) have raised concerns over the under-utilisation of vast resources owned by the Kenya Prisons Department to generate income.

The legislators said despite the huge potential of prison facilities that include land and personal, the department is heavily underfunded, which puts a strain on both staff and prisoners.

The MPs either say, the prison programs aimed at rehabilitating prisoners are using either outdated or defunct technology that can not be applied outside once they are freed.  

The Parliamentary Committee on Constitutional Implementation Oversight Committee (CIOC), chaired by Caroli Omondi, has consequently called for the immediate operationalisation of the Revolving Prison Enterprise Fund.

The fund is expected to play a critical role in financing Kenya’s Prisons Service activities while supporting the rehabilitation and reintegration of inmates into society.

Speaking during a site visit to Kaloleni Main Prison in Kilifi County on Wednesday evening, members of the Committee emphasised the need to activate the fund as part of broader financial reforms aimed at transforming the Prisons Service into a more self-sustaining and efficient institution.

Omondi said the revenue generated is expected to be used to finance training programs for inmates, purchase modern equipment and machinery, and promote goods produced behind prison walls.

“Kenyan prisons currently produce a range of items, including furniture, textiles, agricultural products, metal works, and car license plates. However, despite these economic activities, the earnings are not directly benefiting inmates, many of whom continue to live in deplorable conditions,” he said.

The Committee strongly recommended that the management of the fund be entrusted to the Kenya Prisons Service to ensure accountability and alignment with institutional needs.

During the session, Members also raised concerns about a range of systemic challenges plaguing the prison system. These include severe overcrowding, chronic underfunding, inadequate healthcare services, and a shortage of essential personnel such as psychologists and counsellors.

Other crosscutting issues cited were delays in the administration of justice, lack of coordination with the wider criminal justice system, and alarming levels of corruption. The presence of radicalisation, drug abuse, and piracy within prison walls was also highlighted as a growing concern.

“We observed that most of the prisoners are young people who are probably under 30. Some of them told us that they didn’t have legal representation, hence were jailed for offences which they could have easily been acquitted if they had proper legal representation in line with Article 50 of the Constitution,” Borabu MP Patrick Osero said.

Osero said that MPs observed a grave concern that most of those jailed in both Kilifi main and Kaloleni prisons are young men convicted and sentenced for serial offences.

“The pattern here shows that many young men are wasting in jail over sexual offences such as rape and defilement. This can only mean that there is a huge problem in the society around the region,” he said.

The Committee pledged to work closely with relevant stakeholders to address these issues, advocating for urgent reforms to enhance the humane treatment of inmates and the overall improvement of correctional facilities