The former South African President, the late Nelson Mandela, once said, ‘Everyone can rise above their circumstances and achieve success if they are dedicated to and passionate about what they do’ and this is indeed an ideal reference in the life of a former jailbird.
Peter Kipngeno Cheruiyot, once a notorious burglar whose proverbial 40 days of a thief eventually came to pass following his time in prison, where he was imprisoned for 11 years and nine months, is now an author after publishing his first book titled ‘Behind Bars to Indulgences’ to depict his criminal past, drawing a contrast to his new life.
Cheruiyot, who also doubles up as a pastor at his local church, Africa Gospel Church (AIC), where he preaches his journey of deliverance, affirms that prisons can reform and rehabilitate hardcore criminals.
His 79-page book, which took him ten years to write, serves as a lesson to the young generation that they should not take the wrong paths in life, adding that he feels privileged to have gotten a second chance to turn around his life.
He was charged with five counts of burglary and stealing before being slapped with a jail term of 23 years and 20 strokes of the cane at Bomet Law Court on November 15, 2002, even as the sentences in the five cases ran concurrently with remissions factored in.
The ex-convict was imprisoned at the tender age of 20 years and spent his productive years in prison before being released at the age of 31 years.
In an interview with KNA at his home in Kaptebengwo village within Bomet County, Cheruiyot reveals that he began his criminal career at the tender age of 13 years, and as he grew older, he experimented with alcohol, gambling, stealing, burglary, and cigarette smoking.
Born 42 years ago in a family of six children, the ex-prisoner narrates that he grew up in a home where authority and discipline lacked, thus denying him an opportunity to enjoy parental love and care.
His first contact with booze was when he was 14 years old, and he would play truancy missing his classes at Chepngaina Primary School. He would get the illicit liquor from his aunt, who then made a living from brewing and selling the illegal substance at her home. His aunt is still alive and engaged in farming activities at her home in Bomet County.
“I started drinking the local brews without my parents noticing, and I joined hands with local drunkards as soon as I left home for school,” said Cheruiyot.
By the time he was 18 years old, he had become a full-fledged criminal and succeeded in joining St. Michael Secondary School after failing his Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) exams using a forged letter, an act he regrets up to this day.
“I managed to join St. Michael Secondary School in Bomet in 1997 after I forged the head teacher’s rubber stamp and a cooked result slip, because I had performed miserably, which could not enable me to be enrolled in any secondary school in Kenya,” added Cheruiyot.
Cheruiyot graduated to lying to his parents, a habit he developed to quench his thirst with alcohol for money to sustain his criminal activities while pursuing his secondary school education.
“My father would give me school fees, and I would use them to buy alcohol and cigarettes. I was addicted to alcohol and cigarettes, and it became just normal. A village neighbouring the school was well known for brewing busaa, and my entire school fees would be channelled to this drink. My desire for money through uncouth ways was growing rapidly, “said Cheruiyot.
While in Form Three, Cheruiyot was given a letter addressed to his father by the school principal concerning his hefty school fees arrears, but on his arrival home, he was showered with support and encouragement by his mother while his father rained beatings on him in an attempt to tame his wayward ways.
The firstborn in his family adds that he made a decision to drop out of school and joined a criminal gang that terrorised residents of Bomet town on a daily basis while armed with crude weapons which they used to break and steal from shops. It was not long before his first arrest, but Lady Luck was on his side, and his case was terminated over lack of evidence.
“A high rate of robberies were heard all over town, and I got to steal three goats from a certain businessman in Bomet Town sometime in November 1999. This was my first robbery incident, and one of my accomplices was arrested after he revealed and mentioned my name regarding the source of his quick wealth to his girlfriend, whom they spent time with at one of the local bars. Despite spending a harrowing 14 days at the police station where we were held after taking a not guilty plea, my accomplice and I refused to name our other accomplices. The case was dismissed, fueling my stealing addiction,” added Cheruiyot.
His insatiable thirst for easy money led him to burglarize a church in Bomet town, Africa Gospel Church (AIC), where he was a member, stealing Sh3,000 on December 25, 2001.
“I broke into AIC Church, where I was a member, and stole Sh3,000 from a metallic safe box,” said Cheruiyot.
When he learnt that police had arrested two of his gang members in several criminal activities, he fled to a neighbouring county, where he hid for two years, following advice from his mother to flee from the County.
Cheruiyot became a most-wanted fugitive, with police trailing him day and night. He sneaked back home and was arrested while playing pool with young men in Bomet town on November 10, 2002. He was subsequently charged in court with five counts of burglary and stealing, where he pleaded guilty and was slapped with a jail term of 23 years and eight months with 20 strokes of the cane.
With an identification prison number of NVS/196/2003, Cheruiyot recalled his prison days as a hellish journey filled with pain, sickness, mental torture, and starvation.
“I spent my young life in Nakuru, Naivasha, and Kericho prisons. I went through sickness, starvation, pain, and mental torture. I regretted my previous life and wished there was something I could do to reverse my history. My time at Naivasha prison was the worst, as I would face solitary confinement for up to seven hours in a dark room with little food as punishment after I was caught engaging in the illicit trade of prohibited items such as bhang and cigarettes in 2006. Here I came across prisoners on death row in Block A and Block B, each block having cells 1 to 96, some of whom could listen to my awkward encouragements, but some did not give a tinker’s damn to my messages of hope. In Nakuru prison, I got to learn carpentry skills and went up to acquiring a Grade 1 certificate, and my stay at Kericho prison was much better seeing that I was nearing the completion of my time in jail. I was made to be in charge of the kitchen and cleanliness of the prison and its environs,” added Cheruiyot.
One day, in 2010, his life changed for the better. After a lot of soul-searching, he decided to embrace Christianity during sermons administered by members of the correctional ministry, which was run by a couple, Stephen and Alene Burgert, from Colorando, in the United States.
After serving his prison terms at the Nakuru, Naivasha, and Kericho maximum prisons, Cheruiyot was released on August 23, 2010, and returned to his home, rejoining his family and the local community.
His first honest deed as a free man was to go to his local church, where he confessed to stealing the cash and voluntarily refunded the money, giving double the amount he had taken.
The father of four then enrolled at Kaboson Pastors Training College in May 2011, graduating three years later, marking a turnaround in his life that sparked a burning desire to write a book to document his life while in prison.
It is in the same church that he burglarized, stealing Sh3,000, that he wedded the love of his life, Mrs. Naomi Cheruiyot, on December 8, 2012.
In a letter dated December 19, 2017 and signed by Senior Superintendent of Prisons Joseph Longorianyang, the ex-convict was appointed a chaplain at the Bomet prisons in August 2013 under the correctional Ministry.
“Peter Kipngeno Cheruiyot has shown to have been reformed since his release since he joined Kaboson Pastors Training College for three years and attained a pastoral certificate. He has been ministering to our inmates for the past four years, with effect from August 2013 to date. His services have created a positive impact on this prison and the entire community.”
He also serves as a committee member on both the county ward bursary committee and the Bomet Central Constituency Fund CDF at the community level.
A letter from Chepngaina Sub-location Assistant Chief Mr. Richard Kirui describes him as an honest, hardworking member of society involved in development projects, a volunteer in various community projects and initiatives, and someone who has helped to rehabilitate many former convicts in the area.
Cheruiyot admits that prison life is tough and all efforts ought to be made to have a crime-free society, adding that prison reforms instituted in 2003 brought about positive changes for inmates, revealing that he escaped the 20 strokes of the cane metered to his sentence during this period.
“Ex-prisoners are rejected by society and find it hard to find jobs or even food, and it is easy for them to fall back on crime to survive. It is not enough to punish offenders and then release them; there is a need for the government to establish why most former inmates end up back in jail. In addition, it should set up mechanisms that ease their re-entry into society; that is how they can decongest the prisons. The prison reforms initiated by former Vice President Moody Awori in 2003 completely turned things around for the better, and it is my prayer that the government will further strengthen the changes.” said Cheruiyot.
He reveals that his many engagements with his community on development matters, as well as his pastoral ministry with his church, have made it easier to build trust with residents who have slowly but surely embraced him.
“Apart from serving as a committee member in both the county ward bursary committee and the Bomet Central National Government Constituency Fund, I am a pastor at my local church. I also engage in carpentry; I have constructed several brick houses, which I rent out, and I am an active avocado farmer, where I have planted over 200 trees,” said Cheruiyot.
Cheruiyot’s novel ‘Behind Bars to Indulgences’ is retailing at Sh500 and is available in Bomet County bookshops.
By Sarah Njagi
