Organic Farming Kenya Prisons Rehabilitation

An organisation’s partnership with the Kenya Prison Service is transforming rehabilitation efforts by equipping inmates with organic farming skills while promoting food security.

The initiative, which focuses on agroecology and behavioural change, has seen thousands of prisoners trained in sustainable farming practices.

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This enabled them to rebuild their lives after serving their sentences.

Resource Oriented Development Initiatives (Rodi) Kenya executive director Esther Bett said the programme is not only helping inmates acquire practical skills but is also easing their reintegration into society.

“This has in turn made it significantly easier to reintegrate prisoners back into society once they complete their jail terms,” Bett said.

According to Bett, more than 45,300 prisoners have so far benefited from the training, while 4,120 ex-convicts have successfully reintegrated into their communities, reducing cases of reoffending.

“Another 38,800 pre-trial detainees have received legal aid in efforts to enhance human rights compliance and ensure they have access to justice,” she added.

She spoke during the launch of the organisation’s Strategic Plan 2026–2030, presided over by Deputy Director General of Prisons Nicholas Maswai.

Bett said organic farming is gaining traction among smallholder farmers due to its health and environmental benefits, including the production of safe food free from harmful agrochemicals.

“Research shows that our soils were much worse than in Uganda and Tanzania, but we have since come a long way,” Bett said.

She added that restoring soil health through organic practices has improved farm productivity and strengthened food security among farming communities.

Maswai lauded the initiative, noting that inmates who undergo the training leave prison better prepared to earn a living.

“Those with even just a small farming space can use the skills they learn to produce foods such as vegetables and earn a living,” he said.

One of the beneficiaries, David Mburu from Gatundu North, said the programme has also influenced farming practices beyond prison walls.

“I am one of the people who got interested in organic farming when I was serving a jail term in Nairobi West Prison. Since then, I have recruited hundreds of farmers in Kiambu county,” he said.

He added that growing awareness of the health risks associated with the prolonged use of synthetic agrochemicals has driven many farmers and consumers towards organic alternatives.

The programme traces its roots to 1993 when Rodi Kenya received support from the United Nations Development Programme to promote organic farming.

Its prison-based initiative began at Kisumu Prison, initially aimed at enhancing food production within correctional facilities.

In Murang’a county, the organisation has also partnered with the county government to promote agroecology, contributing to the enactment of the Agroecology Act in 2022—the first of its kind in Kenya.

The county has since introduced an agroecology course in collaboration with Murang'a University of Technology to equip farmers with practical skills.