Former Inmate Comes Back to Thank Magistrate Who Jailed Him
Sometimes, the people who change our lives are the ones we least expect. In a touching reunion, a former inmate sought out the magistrate who once sentenced him to prison, not to revisit the past, but to thank him for the words that inspired him to turn his life around and pursue his dream of a university education.
Former Inmate Comes Back to Thank Magistrate Who Jailed Him
A former inmate has reunited with the magistrate who sentenced him to prison to express gratitude for the advice that transformed his life and to seek support in pursuing a university education.
Mwendwa Kilatya, who served a prison sentence for stock theft, recently met with Magistrate Eugene Pascal Nabwana to make an emotional request: help him achieve his dream of earning a university degree.
Kilatya was convicted of stock theft at the Mpeketoni Law Courts in Lamu County and sentenced to four years in prison. He began serving his sentence in August 2023 at Hindi Prison before regaining his freedom in 2025.
During his incarceration, Magistrate Nabwana regularly visited the correctional facility as part of judicial outreach programmes. According to Kilatya, one of those visits became a turning point in his life after the magistrate encouraged inmates to embrace education as a pathway to rebuilding their futures after prison.
Inspired by the message, Kilatya decided to return to school despite having dropped out in Form Three before his conviction. “I took your advice seriously because I had dropped out of school in Form Three, so I registered and sat my KCSE exam in 2025,” he told the magistrate during their reunion.
After his release, Kilatya tracked down Nabwana, bringing along his academic documents as evidence that he had acted on the encouragement he received while in prison.
Having successfully completed his secondary education, Kilatya revealed that he had secured admission to study Business Management at Africa Nazarene University. However, financial constraints have put his dream of obtaining a degree at risk.
“I looked for you because I want to further my studies by joining Africa Nazarene University to study Business Management,” he said as he appealed for assistance with his tuition fees.
Moved by Kilatya's determination to rebuild his life through education, Magistrate Nabwana pledged to mobilise friends and well-wishers to help raise the funds needed for his university education.
The emotional reunion has since resonated widely, highlighting the transformative power of rehabilitation, education and mentorship. It also underscores how words of encouragement, even within prison walls, can inspire lasting change and offer former inmates a genuine opportunity to rebuild their lives.
Source: TrendyBeatz
