ANU Welcomes Festus Kilatia and Senior Magistrate Pascal Nambwena
It is not every day that a magistrate hears the words, "Thank you," from a man he once sentenced to prison.
But this week, Senior Resident Magistrate Pascal Nambwana, the Head of Station at Wamunyu Law Courts, walked through the gates of Africa Nazarene University (ANU) with an unlikely guest. The visitor was Festus Kilatia Mwendwa, a man he sentenced to four years' imprisonment for stock theft while serving in Mpeketoni.
Instead of anger, Festus came with gratitude.
"It is difficult to hear someone say, 'Thank you for punishing me,'" Magistrate Nambwana said. "He had every reason to be angry with me and with life, but instead he came to thank me."
A sentence that became a turning point
Four years ago, Magistrate Nambwana sentenced Festus to Hindi Prison. While the sentence marked the end of one chapter, it unknowingly began another.
Magistrate Nambwana regularly visited Hindi Prison and encouraged inmates to use their time behind bars to prepare for a better future.
"I used to encourage Festus and other inmates to use their time to get an education," he recalled.
Festus took those words to heart.
While serving his sentence, he enrolled in the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) and completed it in 1.5 years. Earlier this year, he was released from prison, not with bitterness but with a dream.
He had a very unusual mission.
He traveled to Wamunyu to find the very magistrate who had sentenced him.
"He came looking for me just to say thank you," Nambwana said. "Then he told me he wanted to further his education."
A dream born behind prison walls
For Festus, prison became more than a place of punishment. It became a place of transformation.
"I came to prison with little education, but after completing my KCSE, I knew I wanted to move forward with my education," Festus said.
Even more remarkable was that he already knew exactly where he wanted to study.
"I told the magistrate that I had always admired Africa Nazarene University. I had seen it before, and it is such a beautiful institution. I wanted to study Business Management there," Festus said.
Although the magistrate initially suggested another course, Festus stuck to his guns.
"He insisted on studying Business Management at African Nazarene University," Nambwana said with a smile.
From courtroom to campus
Determined to help him take the next step, Magistrate Nambwana personally accompanied Festus to Ongata Rongai, where Africa Nazarene University is situated.
The two were warmly received by Dr. Faith Mwenda, the Registrar, and the university community. They discussed Festus’ admission into the Business Management course.
For the magistrate, the visit was more than an admission process. It was a deeply personal experience.
"Seeing that he resolved to study while in prison, despite all the hardships, has humbled me," Nambwana said. "Festus has brought me to Africa Nazarene University for the first time."
He also praised the university's welcoming environment and applauded its Christian values.
"I thank God that Africa Nazarene University has a strong Christian foundation. We met wonderful people who welcomed us warmly, and I know that if Festus maintains the same discipline and determination he showed in prison, he will go very far," said Nambwana.
Magistrate Nambwana admitted that the experience had transformed him too.
"He has touched me in a very deep way," he said. "I am rethinking my own life and how I need to live with more purpose and conviction. Through his story, I believe I have found a new resolve," he said.
Festus was very happy with the welcome he received at the university.
"I have been received so well," he said. "Africa Nazarene University is a beautiful place, and I am grateful they have accepted me to pursue Business Management. I thank everyone for believing in me and giving me this opportunity."
A call to give Festus a second chance
While the dream has begun, the challenge of raising fees for Festus remains. Magistrate Nambwana is now appealing to Kenyans of goodwill to help raise funds to ensure that Festus completes his education.
"I encourage Kenyans to continue praying for him and supporting him financially," Nambwana said. "We will share the university paybill so that he can pursue his education to the highest level his heart desires."
Four years ago, a magistrate's courtroom sentence set Festus on a new prison path.
This week, Festus
started a new journey through the gates of a university. Walking beside him was
the very magistrate who had sentenced him before, now serving as a guardian,
giving hope to a student full of dreams.
