Sirisia MP John Waluke has detailed his experience in prison for the last four months.
Waluke was sentenced to 69 years in prison in June over Sh297 million graft case pitting him against the National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB).
A fine of Ksh1.02 billion was imposed.
However, he appealed the ruling and was let out a few days ago on Ksh10 million cash bail.
He was a happy money to once again taste freedom.
On Friday, he spoke for the first time of his experience in jail.
“It has been very hard, very difficult because you have changed from normal life to prison, even the food changes, it is tough,” he said.
For him, he says he learnt a lot of lessons through hardship in prison, one of them being the tough schedule in prison and sleeping hours.
He said that they took lunch at 10 am and had supper at 2 pm. After supper which is served at midday, they would be locked up again upto the following day at 6 am.
Waluke humbly said that he was never given preferential treatment. He would sit alone most of the time and never interacted with anyone.
“I used to sit alone, I did not mix or interact with anybody,” he added saying he took three weeks to accept his fate.
Speaking of food in jail, he described it as “not good at all”.
“Food was just a sukuma wiki leaf (collard greens) with water, if you were lucky, you would get two leaves, it is cooked water, mixed with salt.. it is like a soup, the ugali was not well done, but there was no option,” Waluke said.
What traumatized him was the sleeping pattern where they would all sleep facing one side and turn to the other side all at once when the “governor” blows the whistle.
However, if you happened to step into the washroom, you would spend the rest of the night standing since your position has been occupied.
He also paid cash bail for 57 inmates who had been unable to raise amounts ranging from Ksh.1,000 to Ksh.4,000.
His word of caution to Kenyans to stay away from things that would take them to prison.
