How prison officer is rewriting the future of inmates' children
National
By
Juliet Omelo
| Jan 26, 2026
Every morning, as the heavy prison gates clang shut behind inmates, another, quieter sentence is passed beyond the walls—on the children left behind.
For many, a parent’s incarceration marks the beginning of stigma, hunger, and an abrupt end to schooling.
But in Western Kenya, one prison officer is determined to ensure those children are not forgotten.
Chrispinus Wafula, a Kenya Prisons Service officer and chaplain stationed at Kakamega GK Prison, has turned compassion into action, quietly transforming the lives of children whose parents are serving jail terms.
Hailing from Mabusi village in Kanduyi Constituency, Bungoma County, Wafula has made it his mission to keep such children in school and shield them from the cycle of neglect and hopelessness that often follows incarceration.
“I kept meeting inmates who were more worried about their children than their own freedom. They would ask, ‘Are my children still in school? Are they safe?’ That pain stayed with me,” Wafula said.
Moved by those encounters, Wafula rallied like-minded people to form Prison Christian Ministries (PCM), an initiative dedicated to advocating for the rights and welfare of prisoners’ children.
What began as a small act of charity has grown into a structured programme offering education sponsorship, mentorship, and psychosocial support.
On Saturday at Tabithan 2 Children Safe House in Bungoma, children received stationery and learning materials for the new school term. Laughter and excitement filled the room, a sharp contrast to the hardships many have endured.
PCM now supports 34 children in primary and secondary schools, covering fees, uniforms, learning materials and basic upkeep. Some are transitioning to Grade 10 under the government’s 100 per cent transition policy. Beyond financial support, the initiative runs a centre where children receive mentorship and counselling, helping them rebuild confidence in communities that often judge them for crimes they did not commit.
“Most conversations around prisons focus on security and punishment. Very few talk about the innocent children affected when a parent is incarcerated,” Wafula noted.
Without intervention, these children risk falling into cycles of poverty and crime. Supporting prisoners’ families also aids rehabilitation, as inmates burdened by worry struggle to reform.
Beneficiaries, such as Judith Nasambu and Naomi Wanjala say PCM has transformed their children’s lives, enabling them to return to school and regain hope.
Wafula urges the government to develop policies to support children of incarcerated parents, many of whom are excluded from bursaries and social protection programmes. He also seeks to challenge public perceptions of prison officers: “People think we only punish. But we are also parents, mentors and community members. We are here to heal, not just to guard.”
Looking ahead, PCM plans to expand to 10 counties by 2027, targeting 1,000 children nationwide, with centres already operational in Murang’a, Kisumu, Kakamega, Mombasa and Homa Bay.
By keeping vulnerable children in school, Wafula is quietly breaking the cycle of stigma and neglect that often shadows incarceration.
“Punish the crime,” he says, “but protect the child.”