Veteran politician Wafula Buke has sparked debate after publicly expressing satisfaction with a court’s decision to jail his 21-year-old son, Declan, for four years, saying the sentence could help reform him, but adding that it should have been longer.
Declan was convicted on a charge of preparation to commit a felony and sentenced yesterday by a magistrate’s court.
While many parents would be devastated by such an outcome, Buke took a different stance, stating that imprisonment was necessary for his son’s rehabilitation.
“My son badly needed to go to jail,” Buke said. “Personally, I thought he needed seven years for full rehabilitation, but the magistrate gave him less.”
The outspoken politician maintained that the custodial sentence presents an opportunity for his son to reflect, reform, and rebuild his life.
He expressed optimism that at 21, Declan still has a strong chance of turning his life around.
“At 21, there is hope for recovery from bad ways,” he noted, adding that friends and well-wishers have been sending messages wishing his son quick rehabilitation.
However, Buke also suggested that his son was not entirely to blame for his predicament.
He cited challenges in his upbringing, including being raised in a single-parent environment, as factors that may have contributed to his struggles.
“Single parenthood messed him a bit,” Buke said.
He further alluded to the absence of Declan’s father, describing him as a “missing” figure who was preoccupied with other pursuits, which he implied may have negatively affected his son’s development.
Buke remains firm in his belief that the prison term will serve as a turning point in Declan’s life.
“He will come out stronger and better,” he said.
