Renowned rapper Khaligraph Jones, born Brian Ouko Omollo, has opened up about his harrowing experience in prison over a decade ago.
In an interview with Nairobi News, Khaligraph used his story to warn Kenyan youth about the dangers of ending up behind bars.
Khaligraph detailed his three-month incarceration at Industrial Area Prison in 2012.
He highlighted the stark difference between spending a night in a police station and serving time in prison.
“If you are arrested, nobody will help you when you are in there. One mistake can ruin your whole life,” Khaligraph warned.
“People think that being arrested for one night is different from being in prison. I would describe being in a police station as an extension of your home. If you are arrested and the case [leads to you being sentenced] to prison, that is where your freedom is taken away. If you can avoid going to court and all that, please do. Had it not been for God’s intervention to get me out of there, I would not have become the great artist that I am today,” he said.
Reflecting on the lessons he learned, Khaligraph recounted the harsh realities of prison life.
“It’s a bad experience. I get goosebumps when I pass that place. I was harassed and beaten and it was bad. At that time I was still a bouncer.”
In a previous interview, Khaligraph revealed that he was arrested in 2011 for alleged theft.
He explained how he was accused of stealing by a man, which led to his arrest and subsequent detention at the Industrial Area Police Station for about three months.
“I didn’t know how the court system worked before. You’re just told you have a case in court, you turn up and if you don’t have the money for bail, you’re taken back to jail. I stayed there for about 2-3 weeks,” Khaligraph said.
“These experiences and the death of my father made me give up on education. I didn’t have the qualifications. My plan was to go to Malindi and become a doorman, just to look for a job, hoping that God would make a way for me,” Khaligraph said.
“My sister was in Malindi with some of my family. I just wanted to go there because of the music… I was just rapping and it was not working. I also did it out of passion. I was not waiting for it to pay, but nothing was working in my life.”
