Prisons seek Sh4 billion to replace obsolete machines

CHRIS MAHANDARA-KNA 

The State Department for Correctional Services has asked the National Assembly for Sh4 billion to modernise machinery and equipment at Kenya Prisons Enterprises to strengthen rehabilitation programmes while positioning the correctional services as a key revenue earner.

Director of Prisons Farms and Enterprises, Patrick Kariri, said most of the machinery at prison industries and farms was outdated, undermining both productivity and training.

The proposed funding, he said, will replace obsolete equipment with modern technologies, enabling the enterprises to operate competitively in the market.

“The old and obsolete machines will be disposed of and replaced with new ones to enhance production, performance and efficiency,” Kariri said during an interview with KNA.

He noted that the modernisation will have a dual impact: boosting revenues for the correctional service while equipping inmates with employable skills. 

“Inmates will now be able to derive some income from the products and work they do in the enterprises. With proper tools and certified vocational hampering efficiency in production.

"In carpentry, for instance, creaking band saws and manual planers are still used to cut timber into desks and cabinets. Tailoring workshops rely on foot-powered sewing machines to stitch prison and school uniforms.

"With the proposed funding, the obsolete equipment will be replaced with industrial-grade equipment such as CNC wood-cutting machines, digital embroidery units and modern welding sets. training, they will leave prison with marketable skills, reducing chances of reoffending,” he explained.

Kenya Prisons Enterprises runs workshops and farms across the country, producing a wide range of goods—from school desks, motor vehicle number plates, hospital beds and uniforms to processed dairy products, baked goods and even leather footwear. However, many of the machines powering these units are relics of the 1970s and 1980s