My life in prison, Waititu’s son narrates his one-day ordeal

By , K24 Digital
On Tue, 16 Mar, 2021 17:53 | 2 mins read
Waititu son prison
A photograph of Brian Ndungu taken before and after his prison experience. PHOTO | SHEILA MUTUA
A photograph of Brian Ndungu taken before and after his prison experience. PHOTO | SHEILA MUTUA

The son of former Kiambu Governor Ferdinand Waititu who spent a night in prison may not repeat his offense again after his "shocking experience" of the slammer.

Brian Ndungu Waititu described prison as a "very bad place," revealing that he even missed his evening meal because he was taken to Industrial Area Prison late and the queue of prisoners being booked in was long.

For supper, the 25-year-old former law student at Strathmore University had to content himself with mandazi from the Prison's kiosk.

On waking up on Tuesday morning, Ndung'u said that prison authorities shaved off his hair.

"They removed all my clothes even my boxer and I was given uniform to put on. It was a shocking experience," said Ndung'u.

After taking a mandatory shower, Ndung'u said that he was taken to a cell where petty offenders were kept, a room he said was crowded with more than 90 people.

"I slept on the floor of the cell without a mattress but I was given a blanket to cover myself until morning," the lawmaker's son said.

In the morning, the convict said he was served a huge tin of porridge for breakfast with no accompaniments.

Thereafter, he was ordered to wash toilets and fetch water. Later, however, he was allowed to rest.

"I am happy my friend, Clinton Githinji, paid my fine. I left prison at about 1 pm on Tuesday," Ndung'u said.

He vowed that was his first and last brush with the law.

On Monday, when he was frantically trying to raise the Sh30,000 fine, he contacted his father, a teetotaler, who refused to help him out, telling him curtly to go "experience how prisons are."

Ndung'u had earlier told reporters he had briefly dropped out of university because "it was a trap," but had joined Daystar University instead and will resume his studies once restrictions are eased.