Kenya Prisons Service is headed by the commissioner of prisons. It derives its mandate from the Prisons Act, Borstal Act and Public Service Commission Act.

Kenya Prisons Service functions are to contain and keep offenders in safe custody, rehabilitate and reform offenders, facilitate administration of justice and promote prisoners opportunities for social re-integration. To decongest the prisons, non-custodial sentences such as community service are used by courts as alternative to jail terms.

The prison’s Rapid Results Initiative (RRI) was launched in 2007 to harness team strength and client participation to speed up delivery of services within 100 days. The approach tackled large-scale, medium and long-term change efforts through a series of small-scale, results-producing and momentum-building initiatives.

The Office of the Vice President and Ministry of Home Affairs identified 12 thematic areas covering all departments, five of which were directly related to prisons. One was to decongest prisons and the goal was to reduce the number of petty convicted offenders and remand inmates by 20 per cent — from 3,816 to 3,053.In 100 days, their number reduced from 3,816 to 2,902, a decrease of 24 per cent (914 discharges).

Another aim was to increased revenues in prisons from prison-produced goods and agriculture by 19 per cent from Sh130 million ($1.625 million) to Sh155 million ($1.9375 million) in 100 days. And it worked. Revenue collection increased to Sill 62.6 million ($2.0325 million). The third aim was to boost security in prisons and thus Increase morale of staff and inmates by 20 per cent within 100 days. According to data from a survey, staff and inmate morale increased by 19.79 per cent.