This archive report was first published on 1 November 2019.
On November 1, 2019, a historic event took place at Kamiti Maximum Prison in Kenya. Ten inmates, including former police inspector Dickson Munene, graduated with law degrees in an inaugural graduation ceremony.
Among the graduates was Munene, who was jailed for the murder of former MP Patrick Muiruri's son. His sentence has been reduced to 21 years. Munene credited the African Prisons Project (APP) for equipping him with legal knowledge that has helped him aid inmates who lack proper legal representation.
“The programme equips one with top legal skills. It has been highly gratifying to help inmates who can’t afford lawyers up to a point that they leave prison. Helping others is what has kept me going all these years,” said Munene, who has been in prison for 10 years.
Another graduate, Wilson Kinyua, presented a constitutional petition against the death sentence and won. Kinyua, who was freed in February, has since formed Criminal Justice Dialogue, a platform where he engages with stakeholders in the criminal system to air grievances of prisoners.
APP Legal Aid Manager John Muthuri emphasized the need for legal representation in Kenyan prisons. “In Kenya, there are only about 8,000 lawyers who are supposed to serve more than 54,000 prisoners. This translates to about 80 per cent of inmates who suffer behind bars for lack of legal representation. At APP, we are creating innovative ways to ensure that everyone behind bars who can’t afford legal representation is represented,” said Muthuri.
The African Prisons Project works with the Kenya Prisons Service to identify suitable candidates for training. Currently, 30 inmates at Kamiti, Naivasha, and Lang’ata Women’s prisons are enrolled in the degree programme. Law graduates at APP are allowed to sit bar exams and start practising.
