Peter Kariuki
How an Incarcerated Law Student Helped Transform Kenya’s Legal Landscape
When Peter Kariuki began his University of London law degree inside Kamiti Maximum Prison in 2016, he never imagined he would help reshape Kenya’s justice system. At the time, he was serving a life sentence following a 2009 conviction. “I never thought I would be instrumental in developing the judicial landscape in Kenya,” he says. “But now I feel proud to be part of the progress we have achieved.”
Peter’s studies opened a path he did not know existed. As he learned the law, he used it to pursue his own appeal and to support his fellow incarcerated people. In 2018, he joined a team of Justice Defenders paralegals who filed a petition before the Supreme Court of Kenya. The ruling that followed sent many cases back to trial courts for resentencing. Peter himself benefited from the decision, which began to dismantle rigid sentencing practices that had kept people like him without hope.
For thirteen years Peter lived in Kamiti Maximum Prison. He later transferred to Thika Prison, where he continued working as a paralegal. His experience gave him a deep understanding of how constitutional rights function in practice. “We have a progressive Constitution and a robust Bill of Rights,” he says. “But the government has not fully interrogated them. We, the wearers of the shoe, know where it pinches.”
Today, Peter is using that insight to challenge long-standing gaps in Kenya’s power of mercy process, where no one had been released for years. He and his colleagues are asking the courts to define what constitutes unreasonable delay and to stop ongoing violations of the rights of people awaiting review.
As Peter approaches release, he is preparing for the next chapter. He has applied for accreditation with the Council for Legal Education and intends to pursue admission to the Bar once he steps out of prison. “I remember when I was condemned in 2009 and life felt dark,” he says. “Now I have one year to go. It is a great feeling. And when I leave, I will continue this work.”
Peter’s story captures what becomes possible when people inside prisons are equipped with legal tools and trusted to lead change. Through study, service and determination, he is helping rewrite what justice can look like in Kenya.
