The Maraga Report has raised serious concerns over corruption and misconduct within the Kenya Prisons Service, warning that some officers have been working with inmates to facilitate criminal activities from inside correctional facilities.
The report, released on Monday by former Chief Justice David Maraga, paints a troubling picture of a service struggling to carry out its main responsibility of correcting and rehabilitating offenders.
The National Taskforce on Police Reforms, appointed by President William Ruto, was told that corruption had spread across several areas of the Kenya Prisons Service.According to the report, corruption was reported in recruitment, promotions, deployment, transfers, procurement and the issuing of prison stores.
The taskforce also received claims of nepotism, with some officers allegedly using their positions to help family members secure jobs within the Service.
The report further details claims that rogue prison officers have been colluding with inmates to run phone scams, fraud, petty trading and drug trafficking from prison facilities. Such activities, the taskforce noted, point to a serious breakdown of discipline and integrity within institutions that are expected to keep inmates under control and prepare them for life after prison.
The taskforce was also informed that some prison operations had become like “family affairs”, with senior leaders allegedly disconnected from the daily challenges faced by junior officers.
This gap, combined with corruption and weak supervision, was seen as contributing to the problems affecting the Service.
However, the report also linked poor performance and low morale among prison officers to difficult working conditions.
Low pay, poor housing and working environments, outdated equipment and inadequate support for officers’ welfare were identified among the factors affecting service delivery.
The taskforce also revisited reforms proposed by the Madoka Committee in 2008, which examined problems such as overcrowding, poor living conditions and human rights concerns in prisons.
The Maraga team found that many of the earlier reforms had been implemented in a piecemeal manner, while lack of commitment remained a major obstacle to meaningful change.
Among its recommendations, the taskforce called for fresh vetting of prison officers to address leadership and corruption concerns within six months of the report’s publication.
During the report’s release, Maraga criticised the failure to fully implement the proposed reforms and called for merit-based appointments and fair competition in the country’s security agencies.
He had earlier challenged President Ruto to release the report, which he submitted on November 16, 2023, warning that he would make it public if the government failed to do so.
