The cabinet has given the green light to the proposed Power of Mercy Bill, 2025, a bill that, if passed, will enable the early release of inmates in Kenyan prisons.
In a cabinet dispatch on Tuesday, July 30, the Cabinet noted that the bill aims to modernize the presidential pardon, which will introduce a new framework for pardons and engineer a system that will allow President William Ruto to secure the early release of more fully rehabilitated inmates.
According to the Cabinet, the bill aims to ease overcrowding in prisons, which will also, in turn, reduce the estimated annual cost the government spends to cater to the needs of an inmate. "Additionally, the Cabinet approved the Power of Mercy Bill, 2025, which aims to clarify the implementation of Article 133 of the Constitution and modernise the presidential pardon system," the dispatch read.
A photo of the Kamiti Maximum Prison Photo Global Press Journal "The proposed law introduces a structured, accountable framework for pardons, including mechanisms for supervised early release of fully rehabilitated inmates," it added.
