Stories
March, 2026
⚖️ A Mother's Resilience Beyond the Cell: Wanjiku's Story
Wanjiku is a 41-year-old single mother of three who is currently accessing mental health services. Interruptions in her medication have adversely affected her quality of life and, contributed to conflicts with the law when her condition is not adequately managed.
In the absence of consistent family support and with an absentee father to her children, Wanjiku has borne primary responsibility for her household. She continues to demonstrate commitment to her children’s well-being by ensuring they attend school, have stable housing, and access regular meals.
She reports that her mental health tends to deteriorate during colder seasons, further increasing her vulnerability. During such periods, she relies on her sisters for support, particularly to facilitate her access to treatment at a hospital for continued mental health care.
Wanjiku has reportedly been involved in an ongoing dispute with a neighbouring greengrocer. She acknowledges that there have been multiple verbal disagreements between her and the complainant; however, she maintains that she did not anticipate the conflict escalating to the level of a serious criminal allegation.
Based on accounts from Wanjiku and several community members, the dispute appears to have stemmed from business rivalry, with the complainant expressing concern that Wanjiku was drawing customers away from her enterprise.
Wanjiku was referred to Justice Nest by a community member who had become aware of the organization’s Children and Mothers Diversion and Restorative Justice Program. At the time of referral, she had already been detained at Lang’ata Women’s Remand Prison.
She has remained in custody since December 2024. Throughout this period, Justice Nest made several efforts to request earlier court mention dates; however, due to a congested court calendar, her matter was scheduled approximately six months apart from the previous mention, resulting in prolonged detention.
In the meantime, the Justice Nest Social Support Worker facilitated a referral to Food Banking Kenya to support the children’s food security. Regular follow-ups were conducted through her sister, who assumed the role of primary caregiver. The family demonstrated resilience in adapting to the circumstances while awaiting Wanjiku’s return home.
In February 2026, Wanjiku’s matter was listed for mention before the court. Previous applications by the Justice Nest legal team, had been made to seek a reduction of the cash bail initially set at Ksh 100,000, which neither Wanjiku nor her family was able to raise. During the mention, Wanjiku informed the magistrate that she is a mental health service user and respectfully requested a reduction of the cash bail to Ksh 10,000. The court allowed the application and granted the revised bail terms. Her family promptly raised the amount, and on 10th February 2026, she was released and reunited with her family.
Upon release, Wanjiku was unable to return to her previous residence due to accumulated rent arrears and instead temporarily relocated to her sister’s home. Her children had been separated during her detention. The transition period was challenging, and Wanjiku reported feelings of hopelessness, boredom, and loss of identity. Justice Nest continues to follow up on her case as well as her mental health. At Justice Nest, we work to divert mothers from the criminal justice system so that every child has their primary caregiver.
Marie Michelle- Justice Nest Social Support Worker
