Embu Prison event urges rehabilitation over long sentences

Growing calls are pressing Kenyan legislators to review the criminal justice system, amid fears that current laws are imprisoning a disproportionate number of young men for extended periods, hindering rehabilitation and societal stability.

The issue dominated discussions on Wednesday at a sensitisation forum held at Embu G.K. Prison, organised by the Boy Child Justice Alliance alongside prison officials.

The event gathered civil society representatives, healthcare experts, and correctional staff, revealing a system focused more on punishment than on reform.

Central to the debate was the Sexual Offences Act of 2006, which attendees said has unintended effects on young males.

Patrick Nguu, Organising Secretary of the Alliance, argued that the legislation unfairly disadvantages the boy child, noting that convictions can rely solely on one witness’s testimony—a standard he called perilously weak.

“Parliament needs to review urgently the rules for prosecuting rape cases. Relying on a single witness for conviction is unjust,” Mr Nguu stated, advocating greater use of forensic and scientific evidence.

He suggested some prisoners face long sentences for relationships initially consensual but later turning into criminal matters, occasionally influenced by family conflicts or monetary motives.

Mr Nguu also highlighted how inadequate legal knowledge leaves young men vulnerable during probes and court proceedings.

The Alliance, he said, is promoting community-based legal education to inform youths about their rights and judicial processes.

“Numerous prisoners feel justice was not properly served,” he noted.

Embu County chairperson of the Alliance, Mr Elias Njeru Nyaga, supported these views, pointing out that boys and young men remain overlooked in policy and funding.

While programmes empowering women multiply, support for male vulnerabilities is rare.

“Leaving the boy child out of national programmes is gradually destroying a whole generation,” Mr Nyaga warned, stressing that severe penalties for minor crimes disrupt education, jobs, and family ties irreversibly.

He called on Parliament to amend what he termed as overly harsh laws.

Head of Mental Wellness at Cynert Hospital Rehabilitation Centre Patrick Kariithi expressed concern about increasing inmates under 25, many jailed for drug or alcohol issues and petty crimes suited to rehabilitation.

“Rehabilitation facilities consistently succeed in changing behaviour and rebuilding responsibility,” Mr Kariithi said, appealing for earlier intervention by families, communities, and authorities.

Deputy Officer-in-Charge at Embu G.K. Prison John Kanyugi noted most inmates serve long sexual offence sentences, some 50 to 140 years, removing prospects for reintegration.

“Our duty is to reform offenders,” Mr Kanyugi said.

“Yet with life terms, reformed individuals ask where they can go afterwards.”

He advocated shorter sentences and alternative resolutions for lesser crimes.

The prison currently houses 1,365 male inmates, illustrating a nationwide pattern requiring immediate legislative action.

The forum emphasised whether Kenya’s justice system will favour punishment or shift towards rehabilitation that safeguards justice and human potential.