Sabina Isutsa, aged 94, was warmly received by family members and well-wishers upon her release from Kakamega Women’s Prison on April 17, 2025. Photo/Daily Nation
By Newsflash Reporter
Celebrations erupted at Kakamega Women’s Prison on Thursday, following the emotional release of 94-year-old Sabina Isutsa, one of Kenya’s oldest known convicts, after spending nearly six months behind bars.
Her freedom was made possible by well-wishers who came to her aid and paid the fine that had kept her in custody.
Isutsa, a widowed grandmother, had been imprisoned alongside her 37-year-old daughter-in-law, Priscila Wanjila, after being found guilty of malicious damage to property.
The two had allegedly destroyed napier grass on a contested plot of land in Ishisecheli Village, Eregi, Kakamega County, which they insisted belonged to Ms Isutsa. A neighbor’s complaint led to their arrest, conviction, and sentencing. While Wanjila received a Sh30,000 fine, Isutsa was fined Sh23,000 — a sum she couldn’t raise, leading to her incarceration.
Despite her fragile state and advanced age, Isutsa was held at the Kakamega Women’s Prison from November 2024 until April 17, 2025. Her freedom was secured when the African Centre for Non-Violence Today (AfriNov), a Western Kenya-based advocacy group, paid the fine on her behalf.
Calls for justice reform
“Sabina’s case moved us deeply,” said Mary Shimwenyi, a mediator from AfriNov.
“We found her in hospital with a Sh70,000 bill for a hip replacement after a fall in prison. We felt she deserved dignity, not imprisonment.” The organisation is now planning to seek a court review to revisit the land dispute that ultimately landed Isutsa behind bars.
Her imprisonment has sparked national debate on how the justice system treats elderly citizens, especially those with health conditions or cognitive decline. Family members said Isutsa’s mental state had worsened while in prison, and she now struggles to remember or express herself clearly.
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Priscila Wanjila, who spent two and a half months in prison before her husband raised the funds for her release, shared harrowing details about their experience.
“Prison is extremely harsh, especially for someone her age,” she said. “She couldn’t handle the crowding and limited medical care. Her health was deteriorating rapidly.”
According to Wanjila, the cramped conditions and constant supervision were overwhelming even for younger inmates, let alone a 94-year-old woman. During her time in prison, Isutsa fell and dislocated her hip, necessitating urgent treatment at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret.
Ann Sailet, the Deputy Officer-in-Charge at the Kakamega Women’s Prison, described Isutsa as a beacon of hope to fellow inmates and staff. “She brought a lot of spiritual comfort. Many inmates looked up to her, and we are happy to see her finally reunited with her family,” Sailet said.
Human rights defenders and legal experts are now calling for a re-evaluation of policies regarding the incarceration of elderly individuals. Linet Mwale, a social justice activist, criticized the imprisonment of seniors who pose no danger to society.
“Keeping people over 70 in prison, especially those with no history of violence, is effectively a slow death sentence,” Mwale argued. “Many of them are locked away when their presence in jail does little to serve justice, rehabilitation, or public safety.”
Mwale urged the judiciary to consider alternative sentences for senior citizens, including home-based corrections or community service, stressing that prison environments often worsen their health conditions.
Lawyer Patrick Mung’oma echoed her sentiments, highlighting a significant legal loophole. “There’s currently no specific legal protection for elderly convicts,” he said. “We need legislative reforms to ensure older adults aren’t forced to spend their final years in prison due to poverty or minor offenses.”
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Sabina Isutsa’s story has highlighted the plight of vulnerable elderly individuals entangled in legal disputes, especially those without the means to navigate a complex justice system. For now, she is back home, but her case continues to raise critical questions about justice, dignity, and care for Kenya’s senior citizens.
She was warmly received by family members and a group of well-wishers led by Jael Onyango, who helped organize her return home. For a woman who has lived through nearly a century, including a short but painful chapter in prison, the hope is that the rest of her years will be spent in peace and dignity — not courtrooms or jail cells.
