KK’S PRISON NIGHTMARE:
“I Slept On The Floor Near The Toilet While The Cell Captain Slept On The Bed.”
Hey Folks,
Yesterday, I shared an excerpt from my newly released book, Conversations Part 2, where veteran politician Muhabi Lungu detailed the shocking Christmas Day treason arrest of Zambia’s founding father, Dr. Kenneth Kaunda (KK).
Exactly seven years later, on December 25, 2004, KK put pen to paper to recount that harrowing experience. He detailed his arrest, his crowded stay at Kamwala Remand Prison in Lusaka, his subsequent transfer to Mukobeko Maximum Prison in Kabwe, and the grueling hunger strike he broke only after being pleaded with by the late Tanzanian President Julius Nyerere and his wife, Maria.
Here below is that gripping excerpt in KK’s own words.
Enjoy!
Amos Malupenga
Author
Dr Kenneth Kaunda:
“Around 04 hours, Thursday morning, which was Christmas Day, there was a loud knock at the gate of my residence. The young men who were on duty at the house came and knocked at my door. They said there was a policeman who wanted to see me.
A police officer to see me at 04 hours! I wondered what it was all about. I said I would not see the police officer until later.
The police officers then got their way past the gate and into the courtyard. So I called my fighting son, Major Wezi Kaunda. I told him what was happening.
“Please don’t open the door. I’m coming,” he told me.
So Major Wezi came. I was in my office listening when he came. He commanded the police officers: “Out, Out!”
And the police officers left the courtyard and went out of the gate! I did not know how many there had been but I later learnt that the Kalundu House had been surrounded by a huge number of armed paramilitary officers.
We began calling lawyers. By 07:30 hours, my lawyers had come, six of them. These lawyers are the ones I worked with even before. And then about six police officers came in. The notorious Deputy Commissioner of Chiluba came to me. He was a very cruel and crude fellow. He is the one who tortured Dean Mung’omba, the president of a political party.
This chap comes in and says to me: “What is your name? Ah! The things Mr. Frederick Chiluba has made me go through!
So this Deputy Commissioner was asking me what my name was! He demanded to take me to the Police Headquarters. He said they needed to ask me some questions there. He said my lawyers could come.
My lawyers did a lot of work. My life and their lives were greatly affected by these events brought about by Mr. Chiluba.
My lawyer suggested I go to the Police Headquarters. So we started off. There were about 5 to 6 vehicles. There were many armed police officers at Police Headquarters. My word, they were in their hundreds!
At Police Headquarters, at first I refused to go in. I could also see some UNIP party members had come. They said Mr. Chiluba would in future not be allowed to arrest me.
The police allowed only two of my lawyers to follow me. Eventually, I got into the building. The police asked for my details and I told them. The police then said I was going to be taken to prison.
We reached Kamwala Remand Prison in Lusaka. They took me in. There were 19 of us in the small cell! There was a bed for our boss of the cell, who was also a prison inmate. The other inmates did not have beds. We slept on the floor. We slept in a difficult way. We slept lying down in lines. We all had a person lying down straight on each other on of our sides.
On my left, the person slept lying down facing the opposite where I faced. His feet were on the same side as my head. The other person on my right side was also facing the direction opposite mine. Except the cell boss, each inmate slept lying like that, with one person on each side lying in the other direction.
And then there was one higher place where my feet were pointing. At first I did not know that it was the latrine. A person gets on top there and releases himself with everyone watching.
The room we were in was small and packed. But the other inmates were very respectful and understanding.
And in that cell I managed to catch some sleep. I still slept but obviously not enough. At least I lost my being awake. That day of my detention, I had no food or water at all in that prison. On that Christmas Day of 1997 with other inmates of Kamwala Remand Prison, that is how I slept in a small crowded room.
Early in the morning about 05 hours, I think, the warders woke us up. …”
To be continued.
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Picture caption: KK during one of his court appearances at the Supreme Court, with his son – the late Major Wezi Kaunda – on his his right, addressing supporters.