NAIROBI, Kenya, Sep 18 – President William Ruto has committed to a “whole-of-society” approach in implementing the recommendations of the task force led by former Chief Justice David Maraga on improving the terms and conditions within the Kenya Prisons Service (KPS) and the National Youth Service (NYS).
Speaking on Wednesday at the official launch of the Strategic Framework for the Implementation of Reforms in the National Police Service (NPS), KPS, and NYS, President Ruto revealed that the government had already started acting on some of the recommendations.
He emphasized that collaboration across various sectors is key to successfully implementing these reforms.
“I want to urge each one of you to be full onboard and to join in mobilizing the people of Kenya to take part in this transformative journey,” Ruto said.
“The success of this initiatives does not just depend on the actions of the government but also on active participation and strong support from every segment of our society, from policy and strategic leadership to local community elders and from our brave men and women in uniform and the citizens they serve.”
The recommendations, submitted to President Ruto by the Maraga-led task force in November 2023, aim to enhance the welfare of Kenya’s security personnel.
They cover areas such as logistics, mobility, and equipment for the NPS, KPS, and NYS, with the goal of improving their efficiency and service delivery to the public.
The launch follows the recent gazetting of a Technical Committee responsible for overseeing the implementation of these security reforms.
The Technical Committee on the Review and Development of Legislative and Policy Reforms for the NPS and NYS is chaired by Kepha Onyiso, with Musita Anyangu as his deputy, and Charles Otieno serving as the Technical Advisor.
The committee also includes experts from various government agencies, such as Marion Muriithi, Seth Masese, and Buhere Jay Sikuku from the Office of the Attorney General, alongside James Nombi and Susan Kamau from the Kenya Law Reform Commission.
The committee’s mandate includes analyzing and reviewing policy and legislative reforms proposed in the task force’s report.
They are also tasked with providing legal advice, drafting Bills for submission to the Attorney General, and formulating policy proposals.
The National Steering Committee, chaired by Principal Secretary for Internal Security and National Administration Raymond Omollo, was gazetted on September 13, 2024.
The committee has been tasked with developing an Implementation Framework to guide the reforms process.
The development of the Strategic Framework for the Implementation of Reforms in the NPS, KPS, and NYS began in February 2024.
This framework outlines a coordinated approach to reform priorities, ensuring coherence and alignment among the institutions involved.
Also present at the event were Cabinet Secretary for the Interior and National Administration Kithure Kindiki, Public Service Cabinet Secretary Justin Muturi, Principal Secretaries Raymond Omollo (Internal Security and National Administration), Salome Muhia-Beacco (Correctional Services), Aurelia Rono (Parliamentary Affairs), and Amos Gathecha (Public Service), among others.
The event was attended by senior government officials, including Acting Inspector-General of Police Gilbert Masengeli, Deputy Inspector-General Eliud Lagat, Director of Criminal Investigations Mohamed Amin, Commissioner General of the Kenya Prisons Service Patrick Aranduh, Commandant General of the NYS James Tembur, and Solicitor General Shadrack Mose.
Source: capitalfm
