Prisons can either make one a better person or transform them into a monster. Author and former military intelligence officer Daniel Musau, who uses the pseudonym of Prince Musau, says prison is a special world where survival is only for the fittest.
Would you say changing from military fatigue to prison uniform was the hardest part of your life?
Expound a bit…
My colleague arrived in Nairobi and connected with my girlfriend. Surprisingly, the pair fell in love and slowly she began distancing herself from me. I would get calls and all manner of ridicule from colleagues in Nairobi once the two made their relationship public, and this made me look and feel like a fool. Nobody could understand why a colleague could get so close to my girlfriend yet I had bought everything for her and the baby we were expecting. I decided to teach the pair a lesson.
Did you make your threat to teach them a lesson real?
One day, as we escorted the prisoners back, my colleague requested the officer in charge to allow us to see inmates in their cells, and the request was granted. That's when the shock hit me. I couldn't understand how so many prisoners could be crammed in such small, unhygienic, and inhumane spaces filled with huge bedbugs and fleas.
So the colleague managed to dissuade you?
What landed you in the slammer then?
After that incident, I was arrested and sentenced to four years in jail but only served two after appeal. To put it mildly, those I'd ruffled feathers with made sure I suffered in prison. Worse, my file had records of grave issues of misconduct and duty dissertation, which didn’t help my case. I didn't have a coin to my name due to my heavy drinking. My entire salary would often be depleted within three days of hitting the account.
Tell us about your first day in prison…
So there is a hierarchy even among prisoners?
You mean prison authorities are that helpless?
How?
How was Kamiti like?
After the appeal went through, how did you pick up the pieces of your life?
While still incarcerated, there is a female pastor who used to visit me and roped me into a plan to kill her husband. One policeman also wanted me to help him commit a bank fraud. Both believed that once one had been condemned by the society and the State, they had little to lose as prison becomes like their second home. I was too smart for them, and despite the promising good pay, I was content with starting life afresh. It wasn't easy, but I found my footing in writing. So far I've written three books, with my first one being about my time in Somalia, battling Al Shabaab militants.
Which are some of the mistakes you regret the most in your life?
