The Chandaria workshop building at Langata Women's Prison. /PHOTO; Vincent
For many Kenyans, the word prison still conjures up images of punishment; harsh cells, endless routines, and wasted years behind bars.
Yet inside Langata Women’s Prison, the country’s largest correctional facility for women, a different reality unfolds.
The clang of metal gates is now matched by the steady hum of sewing machines and the warm smell of fresh bread.
Here, rehabilitation has taken centre stage with initiatives that reflect the prison service’s mandate to reform and reintegrate inmates into society, which has been strengthened by Chandaria Foundation.
When the Chandaria Foundation initiated a training programme at Langata Women’s Prison in 2022, the goal was to equip inmates with practical skills and provide them with a source of income during their time in custody.
Vincent Rapando, who oversees the workshops on behalf of the foundation, recalled how the initiative began three and a half years ago.
“The vision came from Dr. Manu Chandaria, Chairperson of the Chandaria Foundation. He wanted to give women in custody not only tools and skills to survive while inside prison but also a way to reintegrate into society once they are released,” he said.
He added that another goal was to prevent recidivism, where one is released from prison and relapses into criminal behavior and ends up being re-arrested.
“When these women leave prison, many find it hard to survive outside because they previously had no skills to start something of their own. Without support, they may fall back into the same cycles that led them to prison in the first place, which often sends them back,” he said.
What started as a single pilot project at Langata has since expanded to four other prisons, with plans for a total of seven.
After Langata, the initiative was replicated at Meru, Shimo la Tewa, and Kisumu.
Eldoret is next in line for groundbreaking, followed by Nakuru, then Nyeri.
Bread as therapy
For many inmates, the Chandaria bakery has become more than a workplace.
Kwamboka, who was imprisoned in 2023, shared how she joined the bakery the following year as a storekeeper.
She said her duties included measuring flour and ingredients before production and later training recruits.
“Through this, I have sharpened my communication and built good relations with others,” she explained.
She admitted that the bakery had become therapeutic for her.
“Before, I suffered homesickness. Now I wake up, go to work, take a shower, eat dinner, and sleep. It has helped me release stress.”
Kwamboka said she has managed to save Sh20,000 and has also paid school fees for her two children, one in Grade 9 and the other in Form Four.
Additionally, she has also been able to cater to her own needs.
Benta, one of the officers directly supervising the bakery, recalled how it all started in 2022.
“We had fewer than ten inmates producing 400 to 500 packets of pastries daily for only two prisons around Nairobi,” she said.
She said the bakery has expanded and now produces up to 1,500 packets of pastries a day, engaging about 18 inmates in the process.
Their baked products include bread, doughnuts, buns, mandazi, scones, and KDFs, with bread being the highest seller.
Retail prices stand at Sh60 a packet, while wholesale prices range between Sh50 and Sh55 depending on the order.
According to Benta, deliveries now reach six prisons across Nairobi, Thika, and Kiambu, an improvement from just two prisons when the program began.
She explained that each cohort works for three to four months, with the outgoing team training the incoming one. “We are now in the tenth cohort,” she said.
Benta expressed pride in the discipline the women have shown.
“Most of them came here with serious cases, but despite working with sharp equipment, we have never had a disciplinary case.”
She admitted there have been challenges.
“We experience low sales whenever a new cohort begins because the skills are still being honed. Also, power failures have been costly, sometimes spoiling dough mid-production.”
She added that plans are underway to acquire a generator.
Sewing a second chance
While the bakery has provided quick income streams, the textile section has focused on long-term skills.
Patience, a Nigerian national, was arrested in 2017 and spent two years in the remand section of Lang’ata Women’s Prison before being transferred to the convicted prisoners’ section in 2019 after sentencing.
At first, she joined what inmates call the main industry, where she trained in basic sewing skills for two years.
Her big breakthrough came in August 2022 when she was enrolled in the Chandaria Foundation’s textile production programme.
She explained that she has since specialised in making bags of all kinds, from handbags and tote bags to travel bags and school bags.
“It is not as if I am bragging, but I can proudly say there is no design or type of bag I cannot sew,” she said with a smile.
Patience shared that the programme has taught her more than technical skills.
“I have learnt the virtue of patience and the need to be content with the little I work for,” she reflected.
With her earnings, she has been able to make regular phone calls home, send money to her family, and cover personal needs.
She has also managed to save more than Sh50,000, which she plans to use to buy a plane ticket back to Nigeria after release.
She noted that the programme has changed the way inmates see themselves and how society views them.
“Once you are here, you definitely must be disciplined, and with the skills learnt, it guarantees that once we leave, we will find a better purpose for our lives,” she explained.
Patience concluded with gratitude, saying she was thankful to the Chandaria Foundation for implementing the initiative.
She noted that she had acquired more than just skills, which she believes will help her even after her release.
Sewing a future
Achieng, convicted in 2021, already knew how to sew vintage outfits and was quickly absorbed into the main industry for further training.
When the Chandaria Foundation launched the textile production programme, she was among the first to be enrolled.
She explained that while she came with basic tailoring skills, prison introduced her to leatherwork.
“Before prison, I had never touched leather. At the moment, I have the capacity, and my dream is to open a small workshop when I am released,” she said.
Over time, she has specialised in making bags and sewing uniforms for officers.
From her earnings, she has been able to educate her son, who joined Class 7 when she was convicted and is now in Form two.
“It has been a journey here, and I never imagined I would be able to support my family from inside prison,” she said.
At the moment, despite not having any savings, Achieng says she is proud of the work of her hands and the gap it has filled through the income from the programme
She mentioned that the workload can be intense, especially during peak orders, something echoed by Kwamboka too, but she appreciates the regularity of the monthly payments.
“I am grateful for the skills I have been able to sharpen in sewing. I feel my future is very bright once I leave this place,” she said.
“Apart from that, I have learnt to control my emotions and relate well with almost everyone. I feel empowered and confident.”
Marketing Beyond Prison Walls
Mercy, one of the officers in charge of the textile department, acknowledged the limitations the unit faces in expanding its visibility and reach beyond prison walls.
“Most of our customers are people already familiar with the programme, and they make the effort to visit us physically,” she said.
These structural limitations have affected how widely products can be seen and sold.
However, Mercy pointed out that opportunities to showcase inmate-made products have gradually emerged, both through strategic partnerships and public platforms.
“In 2023 and 2024, we secured significant orders from organizations like the Red Cross and the Salaries and Remuneration Commission, each valued at around Sh800,000,” she shared.
Additionally, the officers have taken steps to ensure that the women’s products are showcased at public events.
They have exhibited their work at venues such as the Sarit Centre, alongside commercial beauty houses, and participated in monthly product displays hosted by Kenya Airways, where staff and customers interact with and purchase the goods.
Mercy emphasised that while interest is growing, sustained support is needed to unlock the full potential of the workshop.
“We need more sewing machines, expanded space, and access to consistent markets to ensure more inmates can benefit from the programme,” she said.
Changing perceptions of prisons
At Langata, Commissioner of Prisons FairBain Ombeva described the transformation she has seen since her posting eight months ago.
She reflected on her past work, noting that before joining the programme, she worked in logistics, represented the Kenyan government in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and visited prisons in the United Kingdom where they implement similar initiatives, a model she observed worked well.
She explained how that experience shaped her view. “When Chandaria decided to do the same for Langata, we were quite happy, because I have seen this grow.”
Ombeva said discipline and training are key before inmates are admitted into the Chandaria workshop.
“The inmates who go to Chandaria Bakery take approximately three months. They earn and can take care of their families.”
She noted that in both the bakery and textile units, half of the earnings go directly to the inmates, while the other half is reinvested in raw materials and equipment as a revolving fund.
“All transactions are handled transparently through a pay bill system managed by the Chandaria Workshop team at Langata Women’s Prison,” she explained.
For Ombeva, this accountability has made it easy for the prison service to embrace the model.
She added that products from the textile unit have gradually started finding markets.
“The women have sold their work at Sarit Centre alongside commercial beauty houses. And every month, Kenya Airways gives them a table to showcase goods to staff and customers.”
She emphasised how these initiatives have changed public perception, noting that society now sees prisons not just as places of punishment but as institutions that train inmates to earn a living upon release.
The biggest challenge, she admitted, has been space.
“The Chandaria Workshop was launched as a pilot and did not anticipate this demand. With Langata’s population swelling to about 700 inmates, training only 15 at a time is insufficient.”
“We want to really train a bigger number so that all of them can benefit.”
A model spreading across Kenya
Rapando explained how the Chandaria Workshop at Langata has become a model for other prisons.
“In Kisumu and Shimo la Tewa, for example, we have added Carakana and computer labs,” he said.
He noted that the workshops adapt to the space available.
“We fit them with bakeries, textile sections, Carakana, and computer labs, depending on the capacity of each facility,” he explained.
He also highlighted a lesson learned along the way.
“When we hear that a workshop has become smaller, it tells us they are using it fully and that the intended impact on inmates is being achieved. That was not our expectation in the beginning,” he said.
Rapando confirmed that Meru also hosts similar workshops. “Eldoret is next, with Nakuru scheduled for 2026, followed by Nyeri,” he added.
He acknowledged that the Chandaria Workshops have faced recurring challenges.
“Space limitations, low sales when new cohorts begin, and unreliable power have been issues. But the benefits outweigh the difficulties,” he said.
For Ombeva, the broader impact lies in reshaping how society views prisons. “People used to think our work was to punish and beat inmates.
But we are 100 per cent on rehabilitation to make sure they come out as better persons,” she said.
She added that aftercare support has also been factored in.
“Inmates leaving the programme have been sponsored through placement in their home countries,” she said.
