Parliamentary committee sends away Prisons boss for failing to table key documents
The session, chaired by Nyeri Town MP Duncan Mathenge, grew tense as MPs expressed frustration that this was Arunduh’s second appearance without the required documents.
The Commissioner General of the Kenya Prisons Service, Patrick Aranduh, was on Thursday turned away by the National Assembly Committee on Cohesion and Equal Opportunities after failing to present key records on employment diversity and compliance with the 30 per cent procurement quota for special interest groups.
The session, chaired by Nyeri Town MP Duncan Mathenge, grew tense as MPs expressed frustration that this was Arunduh’s second appearance without the required documents. The Committee had expected detailed data on the recruitment of persons with disabilities and a sub-county breakdown of new hires.
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Ndhiwa MP Martin Owino led the criticism, saying: “The Commissioner General is appearing before the Committee for the second time without supportive documents. We expected a progressive report from what he had presented earlier.”
Other members echoed similar concerns. Teso North MP Oku Kaunya, Luanda MP Dick Maungu, Narok North MP Agnes Pareyio, Nominated MP Denar Hamisi, and Nakuru County MP Liza Chelule all stressed the importance of full documentation to guide the Committee’s recommendations to Parliament.
Sub-county data
Maungu called for recruitment data broken down by sub-county, while Kaunya and Hamisi underlined the need for complete records for the Committee’s final report. Chelule highlighted the importance of inclusivity, especially for persons with disabilities.
"I hold the interests of People Living with Disabilities at heart. You were supposed to table documents showing their numbers, so we know whether you are complying with the law that requires at least five per cent be persons with disabilities," she said.
The Committee directed Arunduh to work with its secretariat to ensure all documents were properly prepared. In response, the Commissioner General admitted the lapse and asked for more time. “I am well guided by the Committee, and I request three weeks to provide the required documents,” he said.
However, Mathenge only granted two weeks before Arunduh’s next appearance.
Meanwhile, a separate petition has been filed in court challenging a directive requiring graduate officers in the Kenya Prisons Service to hold a Master’s degree to qualify for promotion to the rank of Inspector of Prisons.
The petition, lodged by activist Fredrick Bikeri, argues that the directive is unfair, discriminatory, and introduced without consultation or public participation.
According to court papers, most affected officers could not pursue postgraduate studies while serving full-time due to financial and logistical constraints, leaving them systematically excluded from promotions.
“The affected serving officers, most of whom lacked the financial or logistical ability to pursue a Master’s degree while in full-time service, were being systematically excluded from upward mobility in a manner that was discriminatory and contrary to public service values,” the petition stated.
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