Joseph Irungu, alias Jowie, the man charged with the murder of businesswoman Monica Kimani, is distressed over his recent transfer to Manyani Prison in Voi, his family has said.
Jowie’s father, Julius Irungu, intimated to a local media on Tuesday that the son, who was secretly transferred from Kamiti Maximum Prison on Friday over alleged possession of contrabands, is in bad shape.
Julius pointed out that he visited his son at the prison on Monday and was shocked to learn that he has not been eating for days since his transfer over the fear that his food was contaminated.
“I was meant to understand that since his transfer on Friday, Jowie was yet to eat. When I asked him why he had refused to have his meals, he told me that he had a gut-feeling his food was contaminated. He was in bad shape,” said Jowie’s father.
Jowie, according to Julius, decried isolation in a “dark, dingy and simply uninhabitable” cell.
Read: Why Jowie Was Secretly Transferred To Distressful Manyani Prison
He added that his son is yet to come to terms as to why he was the only inmate transferred to the “hardship” prison.
The suspect’s father read malice in the claims by prison authorities that inmate transfer is normal in correction facilities.
“My son is wondering why out of the 3, 000-plus inmates in Kamiti, he was the only one who was transferred to Manyani Maximum Prison in the so-called routine exercise,” said Julius.
He stated that Jowie disclosed to him that he has been receiving threats from a prison officer who vowed to “hide him from his family”.
Read Also: Puzzle As Jowie Allegedly Transferred To Voi, Parents Question Motive
Earlier, Jowie’s mother had also expressed her fears that the prison officers can’t be trusted and might be plotting to harm her son.
“The prison officer says it’s a normal transfer but our lawyer says he has never heard of something like that. He has been taken to Manyani and his next appearance in court is in February. It’s like they want to do something to him,” said the devastated mother.
Protesting the distance from Nairobi to Voi, Jowie’s lawyer, David Ayuo, stated that he will be filing an application on Wednesday under the certificate of urgency to have his client transferred back to Kamiti where his parents who reside in Nakuru can easily access him.
Read Also: Puzzle As Jowie Allegedly Transferred To Voi, Parents Question Motive
“My client’s criminal case is before a Nairobi court. Logistically, it is very hard for us — his legal team — to access him in a detention center that is 300 kilometres away from the capital city,” said Ayuo.
This comes days after Jowie revealed that his detention at Kamiti has taught him life lessons.
In a recent interview with the Sunday Nation team, Jowie revealed that at Kamiti he was is locked up in a solitary cell where he never interacted with other inmates adding that his visitors were only allowed to see him for strictly 10 minutes.
Read Also: Bullish Warders, Neglect By Friends, Jowie Recounts Solitary Confinement In Kamiti Prison
He intimated that some warders who he termed as “outright bullies” have made his life a living hell.
Last month, the suspect told a Nairobi court that he is suffering and wanted to be granted bail like his ex-fiancee Jacque Maribe who was also charged with the murder of Monica.
The suspect, whose previous bail applications have been denied for allegedly being a flight risk, further sought to assure the court that if released he had no intention to go anywhere.
The bail application is set to be ruled over on February 13, 2020.
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