The Office of the Ombudsman has uncovered widespread corruption within the Kenya Prisons Service, implicating several officers in the solicitation and receipt of bribes in exchange for recruitment, deployment, and other official favours.
The Commission on Administrative Justice has now called for the immediate dismissal of officers who admitted wrongdoing and has referred both the implicated officers and bribe givers to the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) for further action.
In a press release issued on Tuesday, January 20, 2026, the Ombudsman said the revelations emerged following a review of Quarter Two Performance Contracting returns for the 2025/2026 financial year submitted by the State Department for Correctional Services under the Ministry of Interior.
The Commission noted that out of 17 complaints reported by the Kenya Prisons Service, 12 were corruption-related.
“These complaints involve the solicitation and receipt of money in exchange for recruitment, deployment, or other official favours,” the statement read.
It added that several officers acknowledged receiving the money, refunded part or all of the amounts, or made “express admissions during internal inquiries.”
According to the Commission, the admitted cases involved sums ranging from Sh371,150 to as high as Sh990,000, with some officers partially refunding the money and others committing to full repayment within set timelines.
In one case, an officer admitted receiving Sh800,000 and fully refunded the amount, leading to the closure of the complaint, while several others remain ongoing due to partial refunds.
The Ombudsman described such conduct as a clear violation of anti-corruption laws. “Such conduct constitutes admission of corrupt practices within the meaning of the Anti-Corruption and Economic Crimes Act, 2003, the Public Officer Ethics Act, 2003, and the Anti-Bribery Act, 2016,” the Commission stated.
Addressing the Principal Secretary for the State Department for Correctional Services, the Commission said admissions of corruption amount to gross misconduct, warranting summary dismissal.
“Where public officers have admitted to corrupt conduct, refunded illicitly obtained monies, or otherwise acknowledged wrongdoing, such actions constitute a fundamental breach of public trust and warrant summary dismissal with immediate effect,” the Ombudsman directed.
The Commission emphasised that criminal liability remains even where officers refunded the money, noting that “such arrangements do not remove criminal or administrative liability.” It has submitted the names of implicated officers to the EACC for investigation and possible prosecution.
The Ombudsman also reminded the Inspector General of Police that corruption is a “bilateral offence,” stressing that individuals who offered or paid bribes are equally culpable. As a result, the names of bribe givers have been referred to the DCI for urgent investigations.
All agencies involved have been directed to submit status reports to the Commission within sixty days.
