This archive report was first published on 24 November 2019.
Joseph Irungu, alias Jowie, has been held in isolation at Kamiti Maximum Prison since September 19, 2018, facing trial for the murder of businesswoman Monica Kimani.
According to a recent interview with the Daily Nation, Jowie has been subjected to harsh conditions, including solitary confinement, where he is denied contact with other prisoners or warders.
His visitors, including his parents who travel from Nakuru every Tuesday, are only allowed 10 minutes of contact with him.
‘At least every Tuesday, my parents come to see me. They travel from Nakuru to Kiambu every week. Since this is a maximum-security prison, you can imagine someone who left Nakuru at 6 am to come and see you early is given only ten minutes to talk to you. And it’s strictly 10 minutes,’ he narrated.
He also lamented that his friends from Dubai were granted only 10 minutes of speaking time with him.
‘Some of my friends think they’ll have 30 minutes or one hour of speaking with me. They are given 10 minutes and wonder: ‘We took a flight to come to talk to you for 10 minutes, surely?’’ he said.
As of November 22, Jowie had been in isolation for 431 days, during which time he has been allowed only 5 minutes of phone call time using the welfare phone provided.
‘We are Kenyans, and our greetings last five minutes. With that, I can’t say anything with my lawyer or ask him for one thing or the other. What can you say in five minutes?’ Jowie questioned.
He has to spend most of his day sunbathing and reading books between the three meals, the last of which comes at 4.30 pm.
His plea for release on bond will be heard on Thursday, November 28.
