This archive report was first published on 10 December 2019.
Published on December 10, 2019, Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko was remanded at Industrial Area prison, awaiting a bail ruling. In a surprising move, Migori Governor Zachary Okoth Obado, who has previously been in a similar situation, offered Sonko valuable advice on how to cope with the challenges in the remand facility.
Obado, who was held in Industrial Area for a month in late 2018, advised Sonko to pay 'protection fees' to the officers and prisoners to ensure special treatment. He suggested that Sonko should have cash delivered to him periodically to maintain this protection.
Obado also advised Sonko to establish rapport with the officers by tipping them handsomely for protection. He emphasized that the role of protection cannot be underestimated in a remand like Industrial Area.
Furthermore, Obado suggested that Sonko should avail snacks and other basic utilities to the inmates, saying it would go a long way in ensuring that the prisoners respected him and treated him with decorum.
He also advised Sonko to volunteer to take up manual work allocated to other prisoners, noting that such an action would create a strong bond of respect as a leader who leads from the front.
Additionally, Obado suggested that Sonko should promise the prisoners employment to their relatives once he got out, adding that this would cement the loyalty and support from them.
He also urged Sonko to make a promise to those held in Industrial Area that he would petition the government to improve their welfare and push for the transfer of unfriendly warders and officers once he is released.
