Nanyuki Prison officer at the scene where a fire destroyed 10 houses belonging to prison warders on December 21, 2017.
A report by Auditor-General Nancy Gathungu has exposed a sorry state of affairs in the country’s correctional facilities, undermining the transformative reforms initiated by former Vice President Moody Awori to shift from a punitive culture to a rehabilitative one.
Questions continue to linger over where billions allocated every year to the State Department for Correctional Services go, as many facilities remain in poor condition, with some still having asbestos roofing.
Notably, in some facilities, staff live in houses that have been condemned.
Former vice president Moody Awori. He initiated transformative reforms in correctional facilities.
The budget allocation to the State Department for the current fiscal year, 2025/26, is Sh38.15 billion, up from Sh34.39 billion in 2024/25, according to Controller of Budget Dr Margaret Nyakang’o in her November 2025 budget implementation report for the national government.
Yet despite these allocations, life in the country’s correctional facilities remains harsh for both staff and inmates.
Congested inmate wards, missing perimeter walls, unroofed blocks for capital offenders, lack of CCTV cameras, leaking roofs and food infested by rodents depict a system in crisis.
The audit covering the financial year 2024/25 compiled verification exercises conducted by auditors in July and August 2025, highlighting the living conditions in 23 correctional facilities across the country.
The poor conditions violate the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 2007 which mandates that every occupier ensure the safety, health and welfare of all persons working at their workplace.
“In these circumstances, the State Department for Correctional Services is in breach of the law, and service delivery in the correctional facilities may be impaired due to poor status of the buildings and infrastructure,” the audit reads.
The department is responsible for promoting policies to reform the penal justice system, including developing administrative policies for institutions and facilities for incarcerated minors and probation services.
But the Controller of Budget report shows that despite the allocation of funds, the Offender Services sub-programme had not commenced as of September 30, 2025 and the percentage of inmates provided with medical services and formal education was zero.
Security risk
In Nanyuki Main Prison, wards meant for capital offenders have no ceilings, posing a serious security risk.
Ordinary wards and Ward Six need plastering, flooring and toilet repairs while staff houses require ceiling and floor repairs and repainting. The inmates’ kitchen needs a complete roofing overhaul and the perimeter wall, expanded women’s prison and watchtowers are in urgent need of renovation.
At Meru Main Prison, 10 wards require new roofs, timber works and iron sheets. Five wards need toilet basin replacements, 90 staff houses need refurbishment and the guard room, dispensary nd welfare office require new roofing and repainting.
The entrance to the Meru GK Prison.
Even the administration block, documentation office, special store, general office and the offices of the Officer in Charge and deputy OIC require roofing repairs and repainting.
The situation at Nairobi Medium Prison is similar. Office accommodation for staff is inadequate, with only three rooms in use while inmate ward floors are dilapidated, some roofs leak during rain, and there is no generator backup for prolonged power blackouts.
The audit shows tha t no CCTV cameras have been installed to monitor activities. The kitchen used to prepare meals is in poor condition with a failing drainage system and dirty water.
The main store for food and rations, a temporary iron-sheet structure raised on timber poles, is infested with rats, poorly ventilated and prone to water damage during rains.
At Nanyuki Women’s Prison, wards are congested and there is no separate ward for children or a daycare. Langata Women’s Prison has three blocks of 120 staff houses exhibiting structural weaknesses due to water seepage.
At Nairobi Remand Prison, cells in the capital block and seven wards in A and B blocks leak during rains and staff quarters and temporary mabati houses are in urgent need of upgrading.
The neighbouring Embu Women Prison is in need of a guard room and gate lodge because the previous iron sheets structure was demolished.
“The kitchen has leaking roofs and a chimney. Inmates’ wards need floor repair, painting, sock pits and septic tanks.”
At the Kitui Main Prison, lack of perimeter wall along Kibwezi road was noted as is the inmates’ wards that need floor repair, ceiling, roof and door repairs.
The prisoners’ kitchen needs an overhaul of the waste drainage system and requires tiles, painting, floor repair, and roof repair and water installation.
The Kitui Women Prison inmates’ kitchen has a leaking roof and chimney and there are no wards for mothering inmates and there is no daycare for babies. Manyani prison is in need of electric fencing to keep off the wild animals.
Voi remand prison prisoners’ wards need repainting, roofing and ceiling repair.
The kitchen has leaking roofs and needs modern jikos, floor renovation and chimney replacement.
The sewage system is not in good condition and the septic tanks are not connected to the sewer system since there is none in Voi.
There is no barrier and fence at the Kwale Main Prison.
The audit shows that the ceiling of the administration block needs to be replaced due to the leaking roof and the inmates’ wards are "over-crowded."
The ceiling needs to be replaced due to leaking roof and the water closet in the wards need to be replaced.
Kwale Women Prison has only two renovated wards and, “therefore, it is difficult to categoriSe the inmates because the convicted prisoners have a small ward while the ordinary remands and capital remands are sharing the same wards and the roof is leaking.
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The administration block needs reroofing and there is a need for a ladies guardroom as the current one is made of old iron sheets that are leaking and the perimeter fence of the prison is made up of old used iron sheets.
Kaloleni prison lacks a perimeter wall and modern watchtowers at the facility and that “Ward A is inhabitable due to sunken leaking roof.”
“The inmates’ wards are leaking and are in need of ceiling, flooring and drainage. The administration block ceiling is leaking and the drainage system needs connectivity to the main sewer.”
The audit shows that 13 staff houses are leaking and need repairs, flooring and that although 61 staff units have been condemned, they are still occupied.
Kilifi Prison has no sewerage connectivity or septic tank despite a contract of Sh8.7 being awarded on July 6, 2024.
“The prison cells, wards need a ceiling and proper roofing.”
The Malindi Main Prison/ Malindi Women Prison also have issues. Despite the award of a contract on July 5, 2024, for the construction of a modern septic tank at Sh9.8 million, no works have started.
The station is in need of a modern septic tank since the current one overflows and discharges raw sewage into prison land near civilian residential areas.
The facility is in need of a wall that separates the administration block and the prison compound.
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