Man Arrested While Visiting Murder Suspects, Was Jailed for 20 Years, Released

A family in Kakamega county was overjoyed after their relative, who had served 20 years in prison, was released from prison
The man, Pius Lumumba, was arrested in 2005 while visiting friends at a police station and later charged with murder.
Despite serving the sentence, Lumumba insists he was wrongfully imprisoned, but said he has learned his lesson the hard way.

Kakamega: When Pius Lumumba visited the police station to check on his arrested friends, he did not know that this act of kindness would lead to his arrest and death sentence later.

Pius Lumumba was arrested in 2005 while visiting his friends at the police station. Photo: Rasto Wamalwa.
Source: Original

Twenty years later, Lumumba is free again, but with a lesson learned the hard way.

Has a man from Kakamega wrongfully served 20 years in prison?

The 60-year-old man from Lubao village in Kakamega county was arrested in 2005 while visiting his friends at the police station. Lumumba notes that the friends had been arrested because of their connection with the murder incident.

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He would later end up in the same cell and in court facing charges of murder.

Lumumba told TUKO.co.ke that he was never involved in the murder incident and only went to the police station to check on his friends when he heard they had been arrested.

“I had gone to visit my friends, who I heard had been arrested. The police handcuffed me, and since then, I have never been free, until today,” he said outside the Kakamega GK Central Prison after his release.

He recounted how his trial progressed in court, and it was not until 2016 that it was concluded with a life sentence, which was later changed to a death sentence in 2021.

After the change in his sentence, Lumumba said he was transferred from the Prison Poisonous to Naivasha Central Prison.

It was when he was in Naivasha Prison that he met a friend who continued to encourage him not to give up and to always believe and trust God.

Lumumba notes that he believes it was through prayer that he was finally a free man.

“I was given a life sentence, but later the court changed it to a death sentence, and I continued to pray until a miracle happened,” he said happily.

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A Kakamega man was happily welcomed home after 20 years in prison.

On the day he was released, Lumumba’s family members, including his wife and children, were there to welcome him back into the community.

Pius Lumumba after his release — Pius Lumumba was welcomed back to his family by his family and friends after serving 20 years in prison. Photo: Rasto Wamalwa.
Source: Original

He left his home when his younger brother was 12 years old, but returned when he was 32 years old.

As he starts his life anew, Lumumba urged Kenyans to stay away from friends who can destroy their peace, adding that investigating a suspect in police cells can cause problems for anyone.

The Commissioner of Prisons at Kakamega Central Prison, David Serei, asked the community to fully embrace Lumumba.

He noted that while serving his sentence in prison, the man had gone through several programs aimed at ensuring that he becomes a better person in society.

“We have partnered with various agencies, including CITAM Kenya, Huduma ya Jesus Yuko Hai and the BenBella Foundation, to ensure that Lumumba has changed and can fit into society,” Serei said.