Langata Women Prison Crowning Lady Who Stabbed To Death Her Boyfriend 22 Times a PR Sacrilege

Ruth Kamande

Tulirogwa na nini, a common phrase amongst Kenyans on the unending craziness that we have to deal with on daily basis. Ruth Kamande, a woman who is accused of killing her boyfriend last year when she stabbed him 22 times was crowned the fairest of the inmates at Lang’ata Women’s Prison.

Ruth, who is facing murder charges for stabbing Farid Ahmed in Buruburu Estate due to a love triangle, beat 19 other contestants to win the annual Miss Langata beauty pageant in a fierce competition. While I agree that rehabilitation of inmates is recommendable, I feel awarding such class criminals is far beyond rehabilitation but more of glorifying murdered and dangerous offenders.

The event which was grassed by Chapati Forum, an organisation, affiliated to Dennis Itumbi, digital strategist to the government is going to remain as a disastrous PR move. If anything, there should be no crowning which is easily read as endorsement and celebration of these heinous crimes. As part of embracing them in the society, the peasant should be held without crowning.

Rehabilitation should be limited to family visits, training, counselling workshops. What’s the pride in crowning a narcissistic psychopath, how does this help her and the message being sent out to potential criminals? The crowning amounts to an insult to the victim’s family.