Ex-warder reveals content of Raila's letters from prison to Ida

John Mwavuda at his home in Ndelemani village in Taita Taveta County. [Renson Mnyamwezi, Standard]

When ODM leader Raila Odinga met a former prisons warder last week, it evoked memories of the struggle for expanded democratic space that was the multi-party politics of the 1980s and 1990s.

For those old enough to remember, there was a time in this country when opening your mouth to speak your mind was a detention or death wish. But one man, John Mwavuda, played his role quietly behind the walls of Manyani Maximum Security Prison in Taita Taveta County.

“Mzee John Mwavuda is a person I’ll be forever indebted to and I will support a project that is close to his heart that he has told me about to fruition. He has now lost most of his close family and let us all pray for strength and comfort for him. Hongera Shujaa Mzee John Mwavuda,” Raila tweeted.

Today in Mbololo, I had the great fortune of meeting Mzee John Mwavuda, my prison guard during my detention period in Manyani maximum prison. John was a special man, kind enough to smuggle in pieces of toilet and scrap paper that I would then write letters to my loved ones on. pic.twitter.com/Su4iVl2Oku — Raila Odinga (@RailaOdinga) March 2, 2021

Special bond

Raila, who was visiting the county on a two-day tour to popularise the Building Bridges Initiative, said the former warder was “one of the heroes of the second liberation” and that he had a special bond with him.

The former premier narrated how, while serving his prison sentence, Mwavuda risked his job by secretly running errands for him.

In a telephone interview with The Standard from his home in Ndelemani village, Mbololo location, Mwavuda revealed that he also rubbed shoulders with other leading Kanu critics like the late George Anyona and Prof Edwin Oyugi during their stay at Manyani.

But it is his bond with Raila–who had been detained at the dreaded correctional facility after he was accused of being one of the plotters of the 1982 coup–that set tongues wagging and silenced doubting Thomases.

“Many people were not aware that we are close friends until we met at Mbololo during the rally. He called to inform me about his visit,” said 76-year-old Mwavuda who retired in 1998.

Official courier

He added: “I have been narrating these stories to my village mates but they dismissed me as a liar. They were shocked during the rally at Tausa when Raila called me to the dais.”

Mwavuda, who was the prison’s official courier, recalled how he used to sneak pieces of toilet paper and scrap paper to Raila, who would write short letters to his wife, Ida. 

“Raila and his wife trusted me very much. I used to deliver the letters to his wife in Kileleshwa whenever I was on my official courier duties in Nairobi.”

Mwavuda said he would sometimes delay his journey back to Manyani from Nairobi waiting for Ida to write a reply, which he would deliver to Raila.

“Ida would ask me a lot of questions about the safety of Raila in jail. Likewise, Raila made sure I painted the true picture of how his wife was doing.”

The process of building trust, Mwavuda said, started with Raila introducing him to Ida. “This is my friend. I am very fine.” Ida replied by saying, “I am also doing very well,” he recalled.

John also doubled as the official courier for the prison and I would deliberately write official letters which would trigger him to be sent to Nairobi. He risked his life selflessly by delivering messages that kept me going during those dark days. pic.twitter.com/VGnwi2RpxY — Raila Odinga (@RailaOdinga) March 2, 2021

The former warder, who worked in the Prisons department for 31 years, said he believed that the political detainees took him into their confidence because he was honest. He was also trusted by the authorities.

“I used to stay with Raila and others for eight hours a day. If they had any grievances, I was the one charged with the responsibility to forward their issues to the authorities for action.

“I was aware of the dire consequences of breaching correctional services rules but out of sympathy I decided to take the risk to help Raila by acting as his secret courier,” said Mwavuda.

He said that before his wife, Grace, died of breast cancer, they visited Raila in Nairobi for a week. Mwavuda recalled that Grace and Ida wore matching outfits, which he thought befitted their close family ties.

The couple had five children, one of whom is a prisons officer.

Mwavuda’s home has now become a hive of activity as people flock to inquire what he discussed with Raila.

Despite the new-found fame, he said that his family has been going through a rough patch and the little pension that he draws is barely enough to sustain him and his grandchildren. 

Raila’s visit, however, has given him hope that things will change for the better.

“I know my problems will be over once Raila visits me as he promised to do soon,” said Mwavuda.  

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