Joy as 227 inmates leave Nakuru prison after presidential pardon

Emotions ran high at the Nakuru GK Prison as 227 inmates who got the presidential pardon on Mashujaa Day made their way out on Saturday.

Among the 58 women pardoned from the Nakuru women's prison is Gladys Chepkorir, a mother of five.

When the Nation visited her home at Kapkures in Nakuru West, we found her playing with her children.

She said she had been cleaning the house and her children’s clothes for the better part of the morning, something she had not done for the last seven months.

Her mother, Mrs Agnes Chepkoech, said she had been living with her four grandchildren since Ms Chepkorir went behind the bars.

“As soon as she was jailed, the children had no one to take care of them since they were living in Molo. I had to take care of them since the first born is only 11 years old,” said Mrs Chepkoech.

29-Year-old Ms Gladys Chepkorir who was serving a one year sentence was among those lucky to get the presidential pardon.

Ms Chepkorir was charged with assault in March and gave birth to her now three-month-old baby in July while serving her term at the Nakuru GK Prison.

“Taking care of a new born inside a prison is a hard task. A new-born can easily get infected with diseases,” said Ms Chepkorir.

MORE CAREFUL LIFE

She said she’s looking forward to living a more careful life that would not lead to the experience she had while behind bars.

“We did not believe it when we watched the president announce the pardon on television during the Mashujaa Day celebrations. Everyone one hoped to be among those to be set free,” said Ms Chepkorir.

Another inmate, 25-year-old Stellar Mukhana, had been sentenced to one year in prison for attempted suicide.

Ms Mukhana gave birth at the age of 14 while in Standard Six in a primary school in Kitale.

She later gave birth to another child and in order to support them, she left her home to seek for employment in Nairobi.

While still in Nairobi she managed to save Sh8,000 from her house-help job.

ANGERED BY SISTER

"I sent the money to my sister who was staying with my children at our home in Eldama Ravine. On getting home, she could not explain to me how she spent the money," she said.

This made her very angry and she decided to commit suicide.

She locked herself in her room and when everyone was asleep at around 1am, she tied a rope on the rooftop and hanged herself.

"My sister heard me gasping for breath as I hanged from the rooftop. Using a knife, she cut the rope and that's how I ended up here," said Ms Mukhana.

Ms Mukhana says she learnt lessons while in prison where she had served six months.

To Ms Mukhana, the presidential pardon is not only a door to freedom but a chance to start all over again.

"This is a second chance to live my life afresh and one of the lessons I've learned is that there are people with bigger problems than I do," she said.