Government pushes for more women in Kenya Prisons Service recruitment drive

Principal Secretary for Correctional Services Dr Salome Muhia-Beacco has announced that more girls will be recruited into the Kenya Prisons Service as part of the ongoing national recruitment exercise, in a renewed effort to uphold the constitutional one-third gender rule.

Speaking during an inspection tour of the recruitment exercise in Juja, the PS reiterated her department's commitment to gender equity in the security sector, highlighting the critical need for greater female representation within correctional facilities.

Despite this commitment, the PS expressed concern over the low turnout of applicants in the Juja area, particularly among women.

She called on young women across the country to seize the opportunity and apply for positions in the service, noting that the correctional services sector offers meaningful and stable career paths.

The recruitment exercise, which is taking place across all counties, seeks to fill various positions within the Kenya Prisons Service, with an emphasis on diversity and merit.

The PS also urged local leaders and community stakeholders to help mobilise youth, especially women, to participate in national service opportunities, including in security and corrections.

The ongoing recruitment is part of a wider government initiative to strengthen security services while aligning with constitutional mandates on representation and equality.

On his part, Murera Ward MCA Ngatha Wambiri emphasised the need for more women to seize the opportunities offered by the government.

In the ongoing recruitment drive, the Prisons department plans to recruit more than 3,000 personnel and those who want to join the service have to be Kenyans, have a mean grade of D plus and be aged between 18 and 28.