By BRIAN MUSYOKA
Pressure is mounting on lawmakers to urgently review Kenya’s criminal justice laws amid growing concern that current legislation is sweeping young men into prison at alarming rates, cutting short their chances for rehabilitation and productive lives.
The concerns were raised during a sensitization forum held at Embu G.K Prison today 7th January 2026, convened by the Boy Child Justice Alliance in collaboration with the Prison Administration. The forum brought together civil society actors, health professionals, and correctional officers to interrogate the impact of punitive laws on young men.
Speaking at the event, Patrick Nguu, Organizing Secretary of the Boy Child Justice Alliance CBO, argued that the legal system has increasingly tilted against the boy child, citing the Sexual Offences Act of 2006 as a key example. He noted that some convictions are secured solely on the testimony of a single witness, a standard he said exposes young men to wrongful or exaggerated prosecutions.
Nguu called for amendments to strengthen evidentiary thresholds and increase reliance on scientific and forensic proof. He claimed that a significant number of inmates are behind bars over consensual relationships that later escalate into criminal cases, sometimes fueled by family disputes or financial interests.
He further observed that limited legal awareness among young men often leaves them vulnerable during investigations and trials, underscoring the Alliance’s push for grassroots legal education to help youths understand and defend their rights.
“Parliament must urgently review the laws governing the prosecution of rape cases. Convicting a suspect on the testimony of a single witness is not fair. We need proper scientific and forensic tools to establish the truth, because many men in our prisons believe justice was not fairly administered,"said Nguu.
Echoing these sentiments, Elias Njeru Nyaga, Chairperson of the Boy Child Justice Alliance in Embu County, said the boy child has remained largely invisible in public policy and budget allocations. While women-focused empowerment initiatives continue to expand, he noted, programs addressing the unique challenges facing boys and men remain scarce.
Nyaga warned that excessively harsh sentences for minor offences have lifelong consequences, permanently disrupting education, employment, and family structures. He urged Parliament to urgently revisit laws he described as disproportionately punitive.
“Excluding the boy child from national initiatives is slowly killing an entire generation. When a man is lost, the future of society is placed at serious risk,” said Nyaga.
From a mental health perspective, Patrick Kariithi, Head of the Mental Wellness Department at Cynert Hospital Rehabilitation Center, raised alarm over the growing number of inmates under the age of 25. Many, he said, are serving sentences for drug use, alcohol abuse, and other minor offences that would be better addressed through rehabilitation rather than incarceration.
Kariithi called on parents, communities, and government agencies to work together to rescue vulnerable young men early, noting that rehabilitation centres have consistently demonstrated success in reforming behavior and restoring social responsibility.
John Kanyugi, Deputy In-Charge of Embu G.K Prison, disclosed that the majority of inmates at the facility are serving lengthy sentences for sexual offences, with some ranging between 50 and 140 years.
Such sentences, Kanyugi said, effectively extinguish any realistic hope of rehabilitation or reintegration. He stressed that the core mandate of correctional facilities should be reform, not permanent punishment, and advocated for shorter custodial terms and alternative dispute resolution mechanisms for less severe offences.
Our role is to reform those committed to our care. But when someone is sentenced to life, they ask us: after reform, where do I go if my entire life is meant to be spent in prison? We appeal for reduced sentences so that, once reformed, they can return to society and help build the nation,” he said.
Embu G.K Prison as of today holds 1,365 male inmates.
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