COP meets alumnus in prison

"Rekebisha na haki"… Kiswahili for Reform with justice is the motto of Naivasha Maximum Security Prison, one of the biggest prisons this side of the Sahara. The motto can be seen clearly as one approaches the gates of the prison located deep in the Naivasha Eastern area. COP (Community Outreach Program) club visited the prison on Saturday, 6th March to donate some books and stationary as part of the University's outreach activities, and congratulate Mr Peter Kamau, an inmate on life sentence who successfully completed CPA under the University's Distance Learning program for inmates. Mr Kamau started his accountancy studies in 2004 when he enrolled for the KATC (Kenya Accountants Technician Certificate) 1 examination. Between January 2006 to December last year, he sat for CPA Part I section I to CPA Part III section VI. He passed without getting any referral in any paper. The Education Centre at the prison was established by the University with funds collected from people who attended the canonisation of St Josemaria Escriva in 2002 under the Harambee 2000 project. There are over 1,100 students studying at the centre. COP members were also accompanied by Mr and Mrs Kim Bhari. The couple supported Mr Kamau's accountancy studies. Mr Kamau expressed his gratitude to the University and to the couple and said he wanted to graduate with fellow finalists at the University when time comes. The inmates thrashed COP members 5-1 in a thrilling soccer match at the end of the visit. A fourth-born in a family of ten, Kamau completed his secondary school in Karigu-ini Secondary School in Murang'a in 1996 and scored a 'C Plus'. "I came from a poor family and I was forced to get a transfer from Siakago Secondary School in Form Two as my parents could not afford the school fees there," he told the 'The Standard'. His parents could not afford taking him to college after his secondary education and he turned to casual jobs to earn a living. In mid 1999, he was arrested and charged with robbery with violence, after an attack in his home area. Two of the suspects died in the hands of the police during interrogations. "Their families protested against the deaths and the officers had to frame us so that they could justify the deaths," he said. In September, 2000, aged 22 years, he was sentenced to death by the High Court in Nyeri. "It felt like I was in a bad dream and I was confused but one thing that I remember most was the tears flowing down the cheeks of my mother," he said, weeping. After one year at Nyeri's King'ong'o Prison, Kamau applied for a transfer to the Naivasha Prison so that he could study. Between 2001 and 2004, he sat for various single and group courses and passed. Between January 2006 to December last year, he sat for CPA part I section I to CPA part III section VI without getting any referral in any paper. His appeal against the death sentence was thrown out just a few days before he was to seat for his final CPA exams last year. Kamau added that ten years in prison has changed his life and said his dream is to attain a Bachelor of Commerce, Accounts Option. The officer in-charge of the prison, Patrick Mwenda commended the inmate saying he is the first prisoner in the country's history to achieve such results. Mwenda said he will present Kamau's case to the Prisons Board of Appeal saying the inmate deserves a second chance. "I appeal to donors to come forward and assist this young man pursue his life-long dream as he has shown he can perform," said Mwenda. By Dennis Simiyu See also:

Source: SALO (2010-03-11)