This archive report was first published on 24 November 2019.
Joseph 'Jowie' Irungu, a man accused of a heinous crime, has spent 431 days behind bars, a period that has opened his eyes to the harsh realities of life in prison.
According to Jowie, his stay at Kamiti Maximum Prison has been a lonely one, with only his family and a few friends showing him any semblance of support.
His ageing parents, who travel from their home in Nakuru County to visit him every week, are perhaps his greatest source of strength in this harrowing ordeal.
"At least every Tuesday, my parents come to see me. They travel from Nakuru to Kiambu every week," Jowie stated in his first interview since his arrest.
Despite the challenges he faces, Jowie remains grateful for the love and support of his family and friends, who have stood by him through thick and thin.
"Now is when you know people who care, people who matter, people who have your back," he said.
However, Jowie's experience has also been marked by isolation and mistreatment at the hands of some prison warders, who he describes as "outright bullies".
His application for bail in October 2018 was denied by the court, who described him as a dangerous man who posed a great danger to witnesses should he be released.
His co-accused and former news anchor Jacque Maribe, on the other hand, was released on a Sh2 million bond or Sh1 million cash bail, with three sureties.
