A former Kamiti Maximum Prison inmate recently shared his experiences of life behind bars, shedding light on the daily struggles inmates face, particularly with sanitation.
Having served 10 years and 6 months for robbery with violence, Erick Oduor, known by his street name Ndrendende, recounted how inmates managed their basic needs under harsh conditions.
In an interview with Oga Obinna, Oduor revealed that Kamiti Prison had only two open toilets available for all inmates.
The limited facilities often led to long queues and pressure to finish quickly. "Sometimes you couldn’t relieve yourself properly because other prisoners in line would be shouting at you to hurry up and make space for them," he explained.
Oduor also mentioned that despite the availability of tissue paper, it was rarely used, as it was hard to come by.
Instead, most inmates preferred using water for hygiene. Life inside the prison was largely cut off from the outside world, with no access to newspapers or TV news, leaving prisoners unaware of current events.
"Inside there, people are living in the past. They don’t have any information about what’s happening outside. The prisoners mostly watch soap operas to pass the time. Stories are recycled because there’s nothing new to talk about," he shared.
In a surprising revelation, Oduor spoke about how ticks played an unexpected role in the prisoners' lives. Guards would pour water containing ticks onto the beds of inmates who slept with their faces covered, ensuring they stayed alert at night.
"If an inmate was caught trying to kill ticks, it was considered an offense, like attacking an officer. Ticks were seen as night guards, helping prisoners stay awake. Sometimes, guards would pour water with ticks on prisoners who slept with their entire body covered," Oduor added.
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