Suspect goes viral after complaining about ugali served in remand

Drama unfolded at the Milimani Law Courts after an American national charged with being in Kenya illegally openly complained about the food served in police custody, sparking laughter in court and setting social media ablaze.

The man, identified as Hodgkinson Enock Jedidah, appeared before Senior Principal Magistrate Mutai on Thursday where he made an unusual appeal concerning the meals offered to remandees.

In a video that has since gone viral online, the foreign national is heard rejecting the common prison meal of ugali and cabbage, insisting that he deserved better treatment while in custody.

“’I need good food while in custody, not ugali and cabbage, I also need water in there,’” he told the court, drawing amusement from those present.

What began as a routine immigration-related court appearance quickly turned into an unexpected food complaint session, with the accused openly expressing dissatisfaction with the menu provided behind bars.

The clip rapidly circulated across social media platforms, where Kenyans responded with humour and sarcasm, many jokingly welcoming him to the realities of life in Kenya. Some users humorously suggested that the American appeared shocked by the basic meals that many citizens consume daily.

One user jokingly wrote, “Na wageni wa Ebola bado hawajafika, watatuonyesha mambo hawa foreigners” while another, Brian Kirui Kipruto, commented: “Welcome to Kenya. Ugali and cabbage built this nation. Brother wanted nyama choma in remand?”

Another social media user, Vincent Jabulani Lubanga, compared the incident to the famous ugali television advert, saying, “Sounds like the mzungu on the Ugali advert who says to father in-law, ‘Father hii ugali in slurp.’”

The unusual courtroom moment has continued to entertain Kenyans online, with many turning the suspect’s food complaint into memes and jokes across different platforms.