“I was suspected of robbery and handed a 14-year sentence.

"For two years, I had my remand stints in various remands in Nyanza and Western Provinces before finally being brought here at K’Odiaga”, Oduor sadly narrates while lying on a small mattress and tattered blanket.

He says that in 2004 he attempted to escape after being fed up with the ill-treatment the warders were meting out on them.

This would be the beginning of what he describes as “hell” for the warders senselessly beat him up, resulting in a spinal cord injury.

Since then he has only hoped for a miracle for him to walk.

“Life was hard, you could not eat, you were beaten up and forced to live under inhuman condition. That’s why I attempted a prison break, but this was not fruitful. They got wind of my plans and made me experience what I had never experienced since I was born” said Oduor.

His condition has deteriorated since the prison does not even offer medical assistance to the inmates.

Even though his sentence ends on Tuesday, Oduor who speaks fluent English despite dropping out of school in class eight, is at pains imagining how he is going to face life outside of the prison walls.

He recalls that his father, Joshua Oduor, died in 1997 probably due to shock of learning that he was apprehended of criminal activities.

He is the fourth born in a family of nine that lives in Ugunja in Ugenya District, Siaya County.

His mother, Rosalina Geza is now aged and would not be able to take care of him.

“I don’t even know how I am going to survive. My mother Rosalina is too old to take care of me. My health is in bad condition. The only things I can do is to listen, sit and struggly talk as you can see. I cannot survive without the help of other people” He says.

According to Professor Abraham Idowu, the Head of the Prison Ministry and a professor of Computer Science at the University of Eastern Africa, Baraton, Oduor’s life continues to worsen.

“When we visited them in January he was well compared to now. Now he is frail and finds it hard to utter words” Idowu says.

In January, Oduor and a host of other inmates were baptized by the Seventh day Adventist Church.

He thanks the prison administrators for giving inmates a chance to receive spiritual nourishment.

“After the Baptism, I now strong’ly believe that I am part and parcel of the good life in heaven. Even if my condition worsens now, I know it will not be the same in heaven” he said.

On Saturday, the Prison Ministry from the University of Eastern Africa, Baraton, a Seventh-day Adventist ran institution baptized other 300 inmates and they vowed to discard the ways of the past that have landed them in prison.

When he was arrested, Oduor was only 26 and had not gotten married, neither had he erected a samba (hut) in accordance with his community’s customs and beliefs.

He however says that he would marry so long as he gets a woman who would accept his current condition.

“If I get a life partner who will accept me with my condition, I will welcome the idea because in my community you have to get married to pave the way for your siblings” He said.

He urges the government of Kenya to keep its word on prison reforms as it promised in 2004 to give prisoners hope and a chance to change for the benefit of the society.