Country of sex pests? One in three prisoners jailed for sexual offences
Nearly one in three convicted inmates in Kenya's prisons is serving time for a sexual offence.
Nearly one in three convicted inmates in Kenya's prisons is serving time for a sexual offence, and defilement accounts for most of the convictions, a new report shows.
Data from the State Department for Correctional Services, contained in the National Council on the Administration of Justice (NCAJ) report, shows that 11,108 of about 37,000 convicted prisoners are serving sentences for sexual offences. This is about 31 per cent of the convicted prison population.
Defilement makes up 78.3 per cent of these cases. It is followed by rape at 10 per cent, incest at 6.1 per cent and other sexual offences at 5.6 per cent.
The findings are contained in the 2025/2026 Administration of Justice Report, released last week by Chief Justice Martha Koome.
The report also paints a worrying picture of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV). Nairobi recorded the highest number of reported cases nationally. In all, 32,694 SGBV cases were registered across the country. Meru, Nakuru, Kiambu and Machakos were among the counties with the highest numbers of cases filed in court.
In the 2025/2026 financial year, defilement remained the most frequently reported sexual offence, with 5,823 cases recorded nationally.
Nairobi accounted for 3,004 SGBV cases. These included 363 defilement cases, 79 rape cases, 47 sexual assault cases and 52 cases of indecent acts.
Nakuru recorded 1,475 cases. They comprised 267 defilement cases, 49 rape cases, 16 sexual assault cases, seven incest cases and 12 cases of indecent acts. Meru recorded 1,925 cases, while Kiambu had 1,770.
In contrast, counties in the sparsely populated northern and pastoral regions reported far fewer cases.
The report further indicates that women in Nairobi, Mombasa and Nyeri face a notable risk of being groped or subjected to indecent touching.
It also highlights cases of parents sexually abusing their own children. Homa Bay recorded 31 cases, followed by Uasin Gishu with 16 and Kisii with 12.
Correctional Services Principal Secretary (PS) Salome Beacco, speaking recently at Kamiti Maximum Security Prison, said the growing number of inmates serving sentences for sexual offences, alongside other crimes, has worsened overcrowding and the health challenges in prisons.
The PS spoke during the graduation of 90 inmates who had completed an eight-month sexual offender treatment programme. She called for urgent interventions to address the underlying causes of crime, warning that the situation needs a response beyond the prison system.
The PS said young people form a significant proportion of those convicted of sexual offences, and that this poses a challenge to the country's development ambitions.
"These trends, therefore, tell us that the issue before us today is not simply a correctional services issue. It is a justice sector challenge that requires collective reflection and coordinated institutional response," she said.
She emphasised that the administration of justice should go beyond conviction and sentencing to include rehabilitation, reintegration and cooperation among institutions to prevent further offending.
The PS said she would engage other players in the justice sector to strengthen collaboration and ensure that offenders are adequately prepared for their return to society.
However, Toby Mwebia, an advocate for Sustainable Development Goal 5, which promotes gender equality, said the statistics could point to deeper social challenges.
Speaking to Nation, Mwebia said sexual violence is partly rooted in how boys are raised and the attitudes they develop towards women and children.
"We are raising boys without sufficiently challenging harmful masculinities, sexual entitlement, and patriarchal attitudes that normalise the control of women's and children's bodies," he said.
He argued that prevention should begin long before offences are committed, through better parenting, education on consent and initiatives that encourage men to challenge harmful social norms.
"Prevention must begin long before a crime is committed. We must invest in raising boys differently, engaging men as allies, strengthening parenting, teaching consent and building communities that hold perpetrators accountable," he said.
Mwebia added that society must confront the beliefs and behaviours that perpetuate abuse.
"I believe sexual violence in Kenya is not a reflection of how sexually active Kenyans are; it is a reflection of how some people understand power, consent, entitlement and control over other people's bodies," he said.
A senior police officer, who asked not to be named because of the sensitivity of the matter involving correctional services, said the success of rehabilitation programmes in prisons will be critical in curbing repeat offending. The officer questioned whether enough is being done to prepare convicted sexual offenders for life back in society.
"The question that comes to mind is how prisons prepare the sexual offenders and other convicts to help them go back to society and help in fighting the menace," the officer said.
During a recent parliamentary inspection tour by the National Assembly Constitutional Implementation Oversight Committee, the committee and prison authorities, led by the Commissioner General of Prisons, warned that the growing number of inmates serving sentences for SGBV and other serious offences is putting more pressure on already congested facilities and adding to the disease burden.
Unlike petty offenders, who may qualify for alternatives such as community service, those convicted of serious sexual offences are generally required to serve custodial sentences prescribed by law. With little room for alternative sentencing, these inmates stay in prison for long periods, which worsens congestion.
In response, the Kenya Prisons Service has introduced a specialised Sex Offender Treatment Programme (SOTP) to rehabilitate people convicted of sexual offences.
The programme uses cognitive behavioural therapy delivered through group sessions. It helps offenders understand their actions, accept responsibility and address the factors behind their offending.
It also seeks to help participants identify emotional needs and triggers that may contribute to offending. It challenges distorted thinking, rationalisations and attempts to minimise the harm caused to victims.
In addition, the programme works on building empathy towards victims, improving emotional regulation and relationships, and strengthening self-control to reduce the risk of reoffending.
More than 200 inmates from Kamiti, Naivasha and Kisumu prisons have graduated from the programme.
Beyond the challenges in correctional facilities, the NCAJ report identifies gaps in coordination among key justice sector institutions, including the police, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions and the Judiciary. It says weak coordination contributes to delays in determining cases and can compromise the safety and welfare of survivors.
The report also raises concerns about whether the Sexual Offences Act of 2006 is adequate in dealing with new forms of technology-facilitated SGBV. These include cyberstalking, image-based sexual abuse, deepfake pornography and sextortion, which have become increasingly complex for law enforcement and the justice system.
The findings point to the need for a coordinated approach that combines prevention, effective investigation and prosecution, survivor protection, and rehabilitation of offenders.
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