Katitu: Prison was hell but I was treated well

Titus Ngamau, the police officer fondly known as Katitu in Githurai, has described his stay in prison as ‘hell’, calling it “a world apart”.

He said that he wouldn’t wish jail on anyone, not even his worst enemy.

“Prison is like another country, it’s hell and was made for Satan, not human beings,” he said in an interview yesterday on Musyi FM with Onesmus Mwengei also known as Sir Mwenge Mwenge.

Katitu still maintains his innocence, claiming that he was wrongfully jailed because of pressure from lobby groups and vows he will go to his grave holding onto this belief.

He said that he was one of the  12 prisoners at Kamiti Maximum Prison who received special treatment from the authorities.

Katitu was serving a 12-year sentence for misuse of a firearm and will now serve three years on probation.

This is after he was found guilty of shooting dead Kenneth Kimani at the Githurai roundabout on March 14, 2013, who he claimed was a wanted criminal.

When The Sunday Standard reached out to him, he declined an interview request, saying that he had been wrongly characterised by the media.

“For my personal security, I do not want to do any interviews,” he said.

Letting us into his daily routine in prison, Katitu revealed that he would start his day with a hot shower, listen to the radio and then record welfare items arriving for fellow prisoners.

By 5pm., prisoners were ushered back to their cells, and the doors were locked. He expressed concern that if a fire were to break out, all the inmates would be at risk of perishing.

He narrated that prisoners were allowed to make two-minute calls using a phone provided by the Kenya Red Cross Society and the services were only available once a month.

What he missed most behind bars, he shared, were freedom and good food, revealing that he survived on bread and milk, which he took two times a day, describing the food served in prison as horrible.

“I do not want to see bread or milk if I visit your home, please give me tea without milk,” he told the presenter. He would only change his diet once in a while by taking avocados and bananas among other fruits.

Framed for crimes

Katitu claimed that a majority of his fellow prisoners were innocent and had been framed for the crimes they were jailed for. He was never made to work like other prisoners thanks to the fact that he was a former cop.

Katitu views his time in prison as a learning experience, where one’s social status in society becomes irrelevant, and all inmates are equal.

“I never imagined myself in prison, which is why, during my career as a police officer, I never arrested anyone and sent them to prison,” he said. He explained that he preferred alternative methods to handle the different types of crimes he received reports about.

“If I found out that someone had stolen anything, I would ask them to return, why would I take them to jail? For what?”

He urged police officers to explore guidance and counselling as a way of fighting crime and avoid harassing Kenyans while carrying out their duties.

“Never say to yourself that you cannot be taken to prison,” Katitu advised police officers.

Beloved by fans and friends before his troubles with the law, Katitu noted that while he didn’t have many visitors in prison, people would send him money for support.

Apart from his love for the gun that he was entrusted with by the government, Katitu had a deep love for playing the lead guitar.

During his prime, he was a regular in Eastland's clubs, performing Benga music with his Kithangaini Lipua Lipua band. His guitar skills often captivated fans, and he now says he’s in the process of relearning to play.

“I was not able to practice [with the guitar] where I was, I did not have access to many things,” said Katitu.

He said that he never got the chance to interact freely with other prisoners or to engage in other activities like playing music or games. “Our block was not accessible to other prisoners.”

He proudly claims to be the only police officer in the country for whom Kenyans took to the streets in support, saying that Githurai residents protested because of his efforts to fight crime.

“Have you ever heard, anywhere in Kenya, Africa, or even the whole world, of residents taking to the streets to call for the release of an officer who had been arrested?” he posed.

After his arrest in 2013, residents protested for three days, shutting down parts of Thika Road and organising fundraisers to raise his bail.

It took the intervention of former Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko, who offered to cover the bond after residents failed to reach the target, to finally end the protests.

“I had never met him [Sonko], so I didn’t know him personally, but I had heard of him,” said Katitu.

The two later met in prison when Sonko was brought to Kamiti.

“I love women,” Katitu admitted, explaining that he adopted the vigilante style of fighting crime to create a conducive environment for residents to do business, especially since robbery cases were at an all-time high.

He said that he received strong support from boda boda riders in the area in his fight against crime.