Nyandarua Prison in central Kenya is scaling up certified potato seed propagation enhance food security, empower farmers and equip inmates with practical agricultural skills as part of its rehabilitation programme.

The correctional facility, which operates as a multi-sectoral centre offering correctional, probation and aftercare services, has partnered with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the International Potato Centre (CIP) to strengthen potato seed production through technical support and skills transfer.

Speaking during an inspection of ongoing programmes at the prison, Correctional Services Principal Secretary Salome Beacco said the institution is modernising its agricultural facilities to increase certified seed production and improve food self-sufficiency within prisons.

“We are collaborating with specialists in seed production, and we are pleased that our partners have agreed to continue supporting this initiative. Our goal is to expand potato seed production from the current 20 acres by adding another 20 acres,” the principal secretary said.

Beacco said the prison has already produced first and second-generation potato seed and plans to commercialise the enterprise following the recent gazettement of the prison enterprise. Certified seeds will be sold to farmers all over the country, creating a sustainable source of quality planting material.

Commissioner General of Prisons Patrick Arandu noted that the initiative will not only generate income but also reduce the government’s expenditure on food by enabling prisons to produce more of their own food.

Besides potato production, the prison is diversifying into orchard farming and continues to plant fruit, herbal and indigenous trees as part of its environmental conservation programme held on the second day of every month.

The rehabilitation programme is also expected to equip inmates with modern farming skills that they can use to earn a livelihood after completing their sentences.

JICA Programme Officer Simon Kariuki said the agency is supporting the Kenya Prisons Service through technical transfer of skills in potato seed production.

“Our role is to support the government by building technical capacity so that both prison staff and inmates acquire the knowledge and skills needed to produce quality potato seed. The skills will also benefit farmers who will access both certified seeds and improved farming practices,” he said.

Director of Farms at the Kenya Prisons Service Patrick Kariri said capacity-building remains central to the programme.

“Many inmates come from farming communities. By training them in modern seed production technologies, they will become self-reliant and engage in commercial farming once they reintegrate into society,” he said.

Officials said Nyandarua Prison is the first correctional facility in Kenya to undertake potato seed propagation on such a scale, with plans to produce diverse potato varieties, beginning with white potatoes.

The institution is targeting the production of high-quality, high-yielding certified seed capable of producing potatoes with a shelf life of up to four months, a move expected to improve productivity and reduce post-harvest losses for farmers across the country.

• A Tell Media / KNA report Antony Mwangi