President William Ruto has exercised his constitutional powers to pardon 57 prisoners across Kenya. The announcement, made on Monday, April 28, 2025, highlights the government’s commitment to restorative justice and the reintegration of reformed offenders back into society.
The move followed recommendations by the Power of Mercy Advisory Committee (POMAC), a constitutional body tasked with advising the President on matters of clemency. According to Chief of Staff and Head of Public Service Felix Koskei, the pardon covers 56 Kenyan nationals and one foreign national from a fellow East African Community (EAC) partner state.
Out of the 57 pardoned, 31 were inmates serving life sentences. These individuals were granted conditional release, indicating they met specific criteria that showed transformation and readiness for reintegration. The foreign national among them was not only granted clemency but will also be repatriated to their home country.
Additionally, 25 prisoners were granted remission and released after a reduction in the unexpired portion of their custodial sentences. These acts of mercy align with ongoing reforms within Kenya’s correctional system aimed at shifting from punitive to rehabilitative justice.
In a broader gesture, President Ruto also declared general amnesty for all petty offenders serving six months or less. Offenders with longer sentences but with six months or less remaining were similarly included in the amnesty.
Koskei noted that the President’s actions are grounded in a philosophy that promotes reconciliation and rehabilitation. “To strengthen the arc of justice, the Head of State and Government has urged all stakeholders within the criminal justice system to explore ways in which the principles of reconciliation, restoration, rehabilitation, and reintegration into the community can be more effectively expressed and implemented,” he stated.
Details of the presidential pardons will be formally published in the upcoming Kenya Gazette. The gesture underscores a shift in Kenya’s penal policy towards a more humane and reformative approach, particularly for inmates who demonstrate genuine efforts toward change.
