Former Kenya Airways hostess, Priscilla Jemutai Kolongei, was recently released from prison after serving 13 of her 18-year jail term.
Kolongei seems to have undergone a transformation while in jail, since according to a senior prison warden, she was reportedly inducted into a class of highly rated prisoners called ‘Trustees,’ who benefit from other luxuries such as a television set, neatly made beds and books.
Lang’ata Women’s Prison Officer in Charge, Olivia Obell, had informed The Nairobian earlier that Kolongei “will be picked by the wife of her county’s governor from the gate and be escorted by one of our officers.”
The woman whose Kalenjin name means ‘one who uses any means to escape from poverty,’ was arrested with 28 kilos of heroin valued at Sh27 million in November 2002.
After a seven-month trial, the then 35-year-old was locked up at Lang’ata Women’s Prison after Kibera Senior Principal Magistrate Wanjiru Karanja handed her what was then Kenya’s harshest sentence for drug trafficking, besides a Sh10 million fine or an extra year in prison.
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The Nairobian visited her before she was released, but could not talk to the press.
“No madam,” Kolongei pleaded with the warden, “I will not take photos please. I don’t want anything to do with the media please. I have to attend to something else now madam, please.”
And before a photo could be taken, she melted into one of the many corridors inside the expansive prison. She had insisted that “she wants to leave the prison quietly...” the warden had explained earlier.
Journalists waiting outside saw a Toyota Hilux carrying an executive-looking lady. Later, the warden was overhead saying, “Ashaenda (she has already left).”
Kolongei’s flights of fancy
Former KQ air hostess had allegedly amassed considerable wealth in real estate by the time of her arrest 13 years ago. She had four hefty bank accounts and was planning to erect two grand homes, one for her folks, besides enrolling her brother in college for pilots in the US. After five years of allegedly ferrying drugs, she was in the money before she was betrayed as she claimed at the time.
The houses were never built and the brother’s dreams became a flight of fantasy.
