Prisons officers receive state commendation awards

Kenya Prisons Service Training College commandant Wanini Kireri emerged the best during this year’s prison department’s state commendation for excellence in service.

Kireri, who holds the rank of senior assistant commissioner general of prisons, was honoured for the remote parenting programme she started in prisons and the beauty pageants in women’s correctional centres.

The rehabilitation concept she started provides prisoners with opportunities to have unrestricted quality time with their family members.

The concept has been used as a reform and rehabilitation tool to ensure smooth integration of prisoners into the community after completing jail terms.

The beauty pageant programme has been used by the prisons to inculcate confidence and self-esteem in inmates and updating their skills in fashion and design while preparing them for re-integration to the society.

Kireri has served with the prisons service since 1982 and was the first female officer to be in charge of a male inmate’s prison - Shimo la Tewa.

Others honoured are superintendents of prisons John Agwanda and Humphrey Young.

Agwanda who holds a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics and Economics was recognized for bringing reforms in planning and budgeting in the prisons department.

He also represents the department in other government programmes including the Vision 2030 and Big Four Agenda.

Young was recognized for evidence based planning that uses stations as cost centres hence addressing national crisis on escalating pending bills on food and rations for inmates.

As a result of Young’s innovation, the prisons closed the 2018/2019 fiscal year without a pending bill.

Young, who is also personal assistant to commissioner general of prisons Wycliff Ongalo provides technical advice to the boss in coordination of emerging technical issues according to correctional services priorities.

Sports legend Catherine Ndereba was also recognized for her sterling performance in sports leadership.

Ogalo’s deputy Florence Omundi was also honoured for her leadership in her previous positions where she coordinated gender affairs, sports and NGO partnerships with the prisons.

The officers received their medals at the prison's headquarters. They were honoured by president Uhuru Kenyatta in December  last year.