100 Year Old Embu Granny Sent To Jail

The granny who is the oldest inmate in the history of Kenya prisons, is barely coping, as she spends most of her days crying, dependant on welfare officers and fellow inmates to get-by.

Margaret Ngima, says the past few days have been a daze. Ngima cannot believe her eyes especially after 100 years of freedom.

She says that confinement in her old age has taken its toll; emotionally and physically.

“Saa zingine anakaa kulia, anafikiria maneno yake,(loosely translated as; she keeps on weeping thinking about her life),”said a fellow inmate.

Sarah Mulatwa, the prison’s Deputy Officer, the granny spends most of her time crying, missing her home and her children and wishes “to die.”

LAND ALLOCATION ROW

On March 10th, 2015, Ngima was sentenced to three months imprisonment by the Embu High Court for contempt of court together with her sons, 72 year old Peter Njue and 52 year old Angelo Gichovi.

The granny and her sons are accused of ignoring a court order to allocate a two acre parcel of land to Justa Wawira, who has been demanding a share of the family’s four acre land at Nthambo in Embu County.

Wawira’s father reportedly lived on a part of the land and is said  to have claimed a share before he died.

Embu County Governor Martin Wambora has pledged to pay off the Ksh 100,000 fine for the granny, to allow her spend her sunset years in peace.  Her sons, however, were each sentenced to six months in jail without the option of a fine.

By Sally Mbilu. Additional report by Koome Kimonye