PEOPLE

A former Kamiti prisoner has given his challenging experiences behind bars, including awful sleeping patterns. Many of us who have never been behind bars cannot understand the life people in these situations face and how difficult it is for them.  Former Kamiti prisoner Eric Oduor, who is mostly known as Ndendende, recently shared his experiences in prison, deepening his understanding of what happens behind bars after he served ten years and six months in prison. In a recent interview with Oga Obinna, Ndrendende revealed the ups and downs that one faces behind bars, starting with the limits of basic needs under cruel conditions.  Queuing in toilets at Kamiti prison According to him, the Kamiti Maximum Prison has only two open toilets available for inmates, leading to long queues and pressure for timely usage.  “Sometimes you could not relieve yourself properly because other prisoners in the line would be shouting at you to hurry up and make space for them,” he explained.  Eric Oduor also explained that despite the availability of tissues, they rarely used them as it was hard to come by.Instead, they preferred using water for hygiene. https://www.instagram.com/p/C_05VddPy2b/ Lack of entertainment in Kenyan prisons  While in prison, the availability of newspapers or television sets is history, and prisoners are totally unaware of current issues.  “Inside there, people live in the past; they don’t have any information about what is happening outside.The prisoners mostly watch soap operas to pass the time, and stories are recycled because there is nothing new to talk about,” he added.  The ex-prisoner further revealed how ticks played an unexpected role. Eric said that guards would pour water containing ticks onto the beds of inmates who slept with their faces covered, which made them stay alert at night.  “ If a prisoner was caught trying to kill ticks, it was considered as an offense like attacking an officer. Ticks were seen as night guards helping the prisoner to stay awake.’ This is just one of several prisoners who have shared their story on how tough jail terms can be and urged those outside the walls not to get themselves into problems that might lead to a life behind bars.