Tems Recounts 2-Day Experience in Uganda Jail Together With Omah Lay

17 January 2024

[Tems/ PunchNewspapers]

Written by Pharis Kinyua

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In the dimly lit confines of a Ugandan prison, Grammy Award-winning Nigerian singer Tems found herself thrust into an unfamiliar and unforgiving world. For two days, she grappled with the harsh reality of confinement, isolation, and the stark contrast between the music stage and the prison floor.

In a candid interview with Angie Martinez, Tems offered a glimpse into the tumultuous chapter of her life when she, along with Omah Lay, faced incarceration in Uganda due to COVID-19 law violations.

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Tems vividly recalled the moment she transitioned from freedom to incarceration, describing the initial disbelief she experienced. She was picked up from her hotel, and as the reality of the situation began to dawn on her, she clung to the hope that it was all a cruel joke.

However, her hopes quickly dissipated when she was handed her prison uniform. It was at that moment, as she held the musty garment in her hands, that the gravity of her predicament sank in, and she couldn't hold back her tears.

"I thought I wasn't gonna come out. I thought I was seeing it for a reason like maybe I was meant to help the people," she reflected. "I was settling in because I adapted real quick, and as I was walking in, I started to cry because they gave me my uniform, and it stunk because they don't wash it. It was a small room, and there was nothing, just the floor, they give you blankets and tissues, and you're just on the floor, no bed, and I did it for two days. I didn't even know I was going to get out; I didn't have any ears on the ground; nobody told me anything. Outside, everyone was like 'Free Tems, free Omah Lay,' but inside, I was just hopeful, waiting."

Despite her hope, the grim reality of life behind bars loomed large. Tems described the plight of the women she shared the prison with, many of whom were incarcerated for seemingly trivial offenses.

She quickly realized that some of her fellow inmates were victims of a system where guards were easily swayed by financial incentives, resulting in prolonged detentions. The prison's stark conditions, characterized by a lack of basic amenities, made her acclimatization all the more challenging. Inmates could not make phone calls without money, and Tems had none.

To adapt to her new surroundings and to stave off the tears that threatened to overwhelm her, Tems employed a unique strategy. She resorted to winking at her fellow inmates, amusing them as she made her way through the prison. Her unusual behavior had a purpose – to convey confidence and composure, as she understood that showing vulnerability would only make her situation more challenging.

Once inside the prison, she winked at the curious gazes and laughter from the other inmates, a way to establish herself as a confident presence. "Once I walked in, everyone turned and looked at me and whispered, and I was like, 'What have I done? I can't cry,' and I just started winking. That was my way of adapting. I must show these people that I'm confident so I started being extra winking and saying hi, and they were laughing."

The prison authority, a woman in charge of the women's section, welcomed Tems with an explanation of the stringent rules and the dire consequences of breaking them. Solitary confinement in a small, barren room with no food or water was the ultimate punishment. Inmates were required to kneel when addressing officials, and mealtimes were limited to a single daily ration. During her two-day stay, Tems chose not to eat, subsisting solely on sips of water.

The nightmare began for Tems and Omah Lay on December 12, 2020, after their performance at The Big Brunch event in Uganda. They were arrested and charged for violating COVID-19 guidelines, amid a global pandemic that had disrupted life as we knew it. Back in Nigeria, a fervent effort to secure their immediate release unfolded. Tems' manager's father went all the way to the capital, Abuja, with the goal of resolving the situation and ensuring the safe return of both artists.

Their ordeal came to an end, and they were reunited with their families and the life they had temporarily left behind. Tems' resilience and adaptability in the face of adversity, as well as her poignant recollections of her time in prison, serve as a testament to the strength of the human spirit and the power of hope, even in the darkest of times.

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