Kirinyaga clerics call for acceptance of former inmates seeking reintegration

Speaking during a visit to inmates at Mwea GK Prison in Gathigiriri, Mwea East Sub-county, Bishop Dr. George Kamau of Ambassadors for Christ Ndenderu said many former inmates face rejection and hostility from family members and the wider community after completing their sentences.

Bishop Kamau noted that prisoners undergo intensive rehabilitation and skills training while in custody and should therefore be embraced once they are released.

“These men and women have gone through correction and rehabilitation. When they return home, they deserve love, respect, and a second chance,” he said.

Mwea GK Prison Officer in Charge John Mucoya echoed the sentiments, saying ongoing prison reforms have focused heavily on rehabilitation. He added that many inmates have reformed and should not be prevented from returning to their homes and rebuilding their lives.

The government has in recent years emphasized prison reforms aimed at transforming correctional facilities into centres of economic rehabilitation and national development. Plans are underway to construct modern prisons with improved social amenities, with a strong focus on rehabilitating offenders and reintegrating them into society.

Church leaders further highlighted that prisons offer vocational training in carpentry, tailoring, welding, agriculture, and computer skills to equip inmates with marketable skills for life after release.

As part of the visit, the church donated shoes, clothes, underwear, toothpaste, and foodstuffs to inmates, in a gesture of love and to celebrate an early Christmas with the prisoners.