Joseph Njenga thought that his life had turned topsy-turvy after receiving a death sentence in 2008. According to him, he was set to pay the price for a crime he allegedly didn't commit. 17 years later, he stepped out of the prison walls and into the arms of his lover who had patiently waited for him.
"I do," Njenga reaffirmed as he closed his vows and placed the ring on his lover's finger. Other prisoners of Embu Main Prison gathered at the gate surrounded by heavy security presence as they celebrated the special moment.
Njenga, dressed in a blue suit and tie, could not hold back his tears as he let the special moment sink in.
Speaking to Inooro TV, Njenga's wife expressed delight in the ceremony, noting that it symbolised their love.
"I am pleased as my husband has been released from prison. I have waited for him for 17 years. It's been a lot of struggle throughout the years but I'm glad he is free. Were it not for God, I would not have endured," she stated.
Following the ceremony, the newly married couple went to Nyandarua County for a homecoming/wedding ceremony alongside family and friends.
Njenga's Journey
The former convict narrated his experience of how bad company ruined his life and he ended up being the scapegoat in the incident.
He explained that he was a driver who would run errands on behalf of his clients and on a particular day, he received a car from a friend which he started using frequently.
"The car was implicated in a robbery incident and witnesses in court claimed that I was the owner as they had identified me with the vehicle multiple times," he noted.
"I was arrested while driving the car and charged with robbery with violence. I am not the one who did it."
"One of the main things I regret is keeping bad company hence this cost me 17 years of my life."
Presidential Pardon and Appeal
Following his death sentence at Kamiti Maximum Prison, Njenga stayed at the precincts for a year before former president Mwai Kibaki commuted death sentences to life imprisonment.
Njenga was later transferred to Embu Main Prison where he served his time until 2019 when he appealed the judgment.
Upon review, the prisoner was handed a 25-year sentence.
"They calculated from the time I had spent in prison and I completed till the final day."
