Freedom Within KE: Restoring Dignity, Safety, and Hope for Children Living With Their Incarcerated Mothers
In 2018, two young visionaries — Naikena Mutulili and her sister Shakinar Mutulili, supported by their mother Dr. Mary Waceke Thongoh-Muia founded FreedomWithinKE with a simple but profound conviction: No child should lose their dignity because their mother is behind bars.
What began as a small youth-led initiative has grown into a national movement working to elevate the dignity, safety, and well-being of children living with their incarcerated mothers in Kenya’s women’s prisons. These children, collectively referred to as CoIP—Children of Incarcerated Parents, are among the most invisible and unprotected groups in the justice system
FreedomWithinKE focuses on children under the age of four who are legally allowed to live in prison with their mothers, while also advocating for children left behind in the community – many of whom face neglect, stigma, disrupted education, and long-term emotional harm. The organization champions a basic truth that guides all its work: Dignity is a right, not a privilege even behind bars.
A Visit That Shifted Perspectives
During a recent visit to Murang’a Women’s Prison, it became clear that while systemic challenges persist, there exists a deep willingness among the staff and officers to engage with partners who value dignity and humane care. Their openness allowed volunteers to see the day-to-day realities of incarceration, particularly for mothers caring for infants in extremely constrained environments.
Partnerships Rooted in Youth Leadership
FreedomWithinKE was founded by young people and intentionally partners with youth-led organizations to nurture future servant leaders who understand justice, compassion, and community responsibility.
Key partners include;
- Rotaract Club of Murang’a University
- Kenya Red Cross – Murang’a Youth
- Embu Rotaract Youth
- Red Cross Youth in Embu
- Tipwa Tipwa (a wellness-focused youth group)
- The broader Rotary and Rotaract community across Kenya
These partnerships demonstrate that young people are not just observers — they are active contributors in rehabilitation, advocacy, and community care. As FreedomWithinKE puts it,“Leadership is not a title — it is the courage to show up where humanity needs you most.”
Material Support: A Practical Expression of Dignity
During the Murang’a outreach, FreedomWithinKE and its partners donated:
- Diapers
- Baby clothes
- Hygiene products
- Food items
- Towels
- Sanitary pads
- Toiletries
These items address immediate needs, but more importantly, they affirm dignity a core value for both mother and child. A clean towel, a fresh diaper, or nutritious food communicates a powerful message, “You matter. Your child matters.”
Long-Term Infrastructure for Dignity: The Embu Mother & Child Unit
One of FreedomWithinKE’s most transformative projects is underway in Embu. They are crdating Kenya’s first-ever dedicated Mother and Child Accommodation Unit inside a correctional facility.
In partnership with the Triad Foundation and Triad Architects, this pioneering initiative aims to provide:
- Modern, child-friendly sleeping quarters
- A safe day-care and play area
- Sanitation and laundry facilities
- Lactation and nutrition support spaces
- Clean, dignified living conditions for infants and mothers
This unit represents a historic step toward humanizing Kenya’s correctional environment and FreedomWithinKE is still actively fundraising to bring the project to completion.
Why This Work Matters: Policy, Rights, and Justice
FreedomWithinKE’s mission aligns with both Kenyan and international frameworks that protect women and children affected by incarceration:
- Kenya’s 2022 Childcare Policy for Children of Incarcerated Parents
- UN Bangkok Rules on the treatment of women prisoners
- UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC)
- Nelson Mandela Rules on dignity in detention
For a powerful insight into the origins of this movement, readers are encouraged to watch Shakinar Mutulili’s TEDx Talk:
“The Spirit of Social Justice”
At the time she delivered this talk, the 2022 Childcare Policy did not yet exist underscoring the leadership role young Kenyans have played in shaping national conversations on dignity and justice.
Beyond the Prison Walls: A Call to Action
Supporting mothers in prison is not charity. It is justice, dignity, and nation-building.
FreedomWithinKE envisions a future where:
- Every mother leaving prison receives emotional support and a care package
- Children of incarcerated parents are protected, not forgotten
- Youth groups continue to step into spaces that society avoids
- Policy reform is grounded in humanity, data, and lived experience
- Kenyan prisons become environments where rehabilitation, not suffering, defines the system
As the organization boldly states, “When we restore dignity to a mother, we restore hope to a child and hope is the beginning of transformation.”
Get Involved
You can support this mission through:
- Donations (especially towards the Embu Mother & Child Unit)
- Volunteering
- Youth group partnerships
- Sharing stories, raising awareness, and watching the TEDx Talk
- Following their work on Instagram: @freedomwithinke
