The Judiciary has released 86 inmates from Kodiaga Maximum Security Prison in Kisumu following a special case review exercise aimed at easing congestion in correctional facilities.
The release followed a one-day judicial outreach programme conducted inside the prison, where judges and magistrates reviewed more than 350 criminal case files involving remandees and convicted prisoners. The exercise focused on speeding up justice for inmates who had overstayed in custody due to delayed trials or minor offences.
According to judicial officers involved, most of the freed inmates had either served long periods on remand, qualified for non-custodial sentences, or had their cases resolved through fines, probation, or community service orders. Others benefited from sentence reviews after meeting legal thresholds for release.
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The Judiciary emphasized that the exercise was not a blanket release of inmates, but a constitutional process meant to safeguard the right to fair and timely justice. Serious offenders were excluded, with priority given to low-risk cases and vulnerable inmates.
The prison decongestion drive was conducted in collaboration with the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), the Kenya Prisons Service, probation officers, and representatives from the Law Society of Kenya to ensure due process was followed.
Judicial officials noted that overcrowding remains a major challenge in Kenyan prisons and reiterated their commitment to conducting similar exercises across the country to promote access to justice, reduce case backlogs, and uphold human dignity.
The released inmates were advised to comply with the terms of their release and, where applicable, report to probation officers as part of their reintegration into society.
