Ex-convict explains how he found love behind bars

Moshi. The fascinating story of how Mohamed Urotu met and later married co-prisoner when serving a 30-year jail term is both delightful and saddening.

The 47-year-old, resident of Soweto Ward in Moshi Town, who was sentenced to 30 years in jail after being convicted of robbery with violence by the High Court (Moshi Zone) has defied the odds to start a joyful journey to parenthood with co-prisoner.

He was dissatisfied and challenged the conviction and the sentence in the Arusha-based African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights (AfCHPR) which acquitted him. Mr Urotu was 25 years when he was being sent to jail in 1997. He walked to freedom in 2017 at the age of 45 after stayed behind bars for 20 years.

“While serving the sentence at Isanga Prison in Dodoma, I fortunately met a certain lady who struck a cord with me and was experiencing problems similar to mine,” Urotu told The Citizen in a interview.

As the case was to him, Mr Urotu says the woman, Rose Malle, was also mistakenly jailed after being convicted of murder. According to Mr Urotu, the AfCHPR exonerated Ms Male of the offence of murder and set her free after she appealed.

“We had known each other and became great friends in prison. She was jailed for life, but the AfCHPR acquitted her after finding her not guilty of the murder offence. I was the first to be released from jail in 2017.

“This lady, who is now my wife, appealed to the court while in Isanga Prison in Dodoma Region. She was later moved to Kisongo Prison in Arusha Region, where I visited her frequently.

“She successful appealed and released from prison and we started living together as husband and wife while other procedures of marrying her were being followed.

“I thank God for enabling me to mysteriously meet with this woman and now we are living as husband and wife and blessed with one child,” he narrates.

Mr Urotu had one child by the time he was being sent to prison. He came back from prison to find his family in disarray.

He is thankful that after being set free, his relatives received him with joy because, as he claimed, he lived with people well. He said over 100 people received him.

“The thing that I will never forget is that it is difficult to get justice at the right time. The good example is that of mine as I got my justice after serving 20 years in jail. This is deeply saddening.

“As Tanzanians, we need to be conversant with our basic rights. This is because if I had known my rights, I would not have been jailed for all that time,” says Urotu