It is not every
day that a magistrate hears the words, “Thank you,” from a man
he once sentenced to prison.
But this week,
Senior Resident Magistrate Pascal Nambwana, the Head of Station at Wamunyu Law
Courts, walked through the gates of Africa Nazarene University (ANU) with an
unlikely guest. The visitor was Festus Kilatia Mwendwa, a man he sentenced to
four years’ imprisonment for stock theft while serving in Mpeketoni.
Instead of anger,
Festus came with gratitude.
“It is
difficult to hear someone say, ‘Thank you for punishing me,'” Magistrate Nambwana said. “He had
every reason to be angry with me and with life, but instead he came to thank
me.”
A sentence that
became a turning point
Four years ago,
Magistrate Nambwana sentenced Festus to Hindi Prison. While the sentence marked
the end of one chapter, it unknowingly began another.
Magistrate
Nambwana regularly visited Hindi Prison and encouraged inmates to use their
time behind bars to prepare for a better future.
“I used to
encourage Festus and other inmates to use their time to get an education,” he recalled.
Festus took those
words to heart.
While serving his
sentence, he enrolled in the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE)
and completed it in 1.5 years. Earlier this year, he was released from prison,
not with bitterness but with a dream.
He had a very
unusual mission.
He traveled to
Wamunyu to find the very magistrate who had sentenced him.
“He came
looking for me just to say thank you,” Nambwana said. “Then he told me he wanted to further
his education.”
A dream born
behind prison walls
For Festus, prison
became more than a place of punishment. It became a place of transformation.
“I came to
prison with little education, but after
completing my KCSE, I knew I wanted to move forward with my education,”
Festus said.
Even more
remarkable was that he already knew exactly where he wanted to study.
“I told the
magistrate that I had always admired Africa Nazarene University. I had seen it
before, and it is such a beautiful institution. I wanted to study Business
Management there,” Festus
said.
Although the
magistrate initially suggested another course, Festus stuck to his guns.
“He insisted
on studying Business Management at African Nazarene University,” Nambwana said with a smile.
Determined to help
him take the next step, Magistrate Nambwana personally accompanied Festus to Ongata
Rongai, where Africa Nazarene University is situated.
The two were
warmly received by Dr. Faith Mwenda, the Registrar, and the university
community. They discussed Festus’ admission into the Business Management course.
For the
magistrate, the visit was more than an admission process. It was a deeply
personal experience.
“Seeing
that he resolved to study while in prison, despite all the hardships, has
humbled me,” Nambwana
said. “Festus has brought me to Africa Nazarene University for the
first time.”
He also praised
the university’s welcoming environment and applauded its Christian values.
“I thank
God that Africa Nazarene University has a strong Christian foundation. We met
wonderful people who welcomed us warmly, and I know that if Festus maintains the
same discipline and determination he showed in prison, he will go very far,”
said Nambwana.
Magistrate
Nambwana admitted that the experience had transformed him too.
“He has
touched me in a very deep way,”
he said. “I am rethinking my own life and how I need to live with more
purpose and conviction. Through his story, I believe I have found a new resolve,”
he said.
Festus was very
happy with the welcome he received at the university.
“I have
been received so well,”
he said. “Africa Nazarene University is a beautiful place, and I am
grateful they have accepted me to pursue Business Management. I thank everyone
for believing in me and giving me this opportunity.”
A call to give
Festus a second chance
While the dream
has begun, the challenge of raising fees for Festus remains. Magistrate
Nambwana is now appealing to Kenyans of goodwill to help raise funds to ensure
that Festus completes his education.
“I
encourage Kenyans to continue praying for him and supporting him
financially,” Nambwana
said. “We will share the university paybill so that he can pursue his
education to the highest level his heart desires.”
Four years ago, a magistrate’s
courtroom sentence set Festus on a new prison path.
This week, Festus
started a new journey through the gates of a university. Walking beside him was
the very magistrate who had sentenced him before, now serving as a guardian,
giving hope to a student full of dreams.
ANU Welcomes Festus Kilatia and Senior Magistrate Pascal Nambwena
