Inside Notorious Prison Where Jowie Will Spend Christmas Day

Joseph Irungu alias Jowie was condemned to more days in prison after being transferred from Kamiti Maximum Security Prison, Kiambu, to Manyani Maximum Security Prison in Voi.

Daily Nation was first to report on Monday, December 9, the suspicious transfer of the main suspect in the murder of businesswoman Monica Kimani as it later emerged that he had allegedly been found with contraband.

Jowie's mother, Anastacia, stated that she first heard the decision on Monday, December 9, when she went to visit his son, adding that she was informed that he was transferred on Friday, December 6.

"He was taken to Manyani and his next appearance in court is in February. It's like they want to do something to him. The prison officer says it's a normal transfer but our lawyer says he has never heard of something like that," Anastacia lamented.

Manyani prison is notorious for the harsh conditions inmates have to endure while incarcerated there. In May 2018, reports surfaced of the hard life prisoners were subjected to at the Voi-based prison.

Pictures showed that inmates slept on bare floors, the privileged few had bedding. Their items were also hung on the wall above where they slept.

Some of the latrines are reportedly open, exposing the prisoners to communicable disease outbreaks, especially during rainy seasons.

Prisoners are allowed a few hours of fresh air outside their cells in the sandy soil.

In 2019, several prison warders were arrested after CCTV captured two of them hiding cocaine. One was arrested at the facility while smuggling cocaine to the inmates. 

According to a report by the Daily Nation in 2018, the prison was used to house Mau Mau detainees in the colonial era, and also hosted political detainees in the post-colonial era.

Video courtesy of NTV

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