Kenyan man freed after spending 18 years on remand

A Kenyan man has been freed after spending 18 years on remand without trial accused of killing his neighbour.

Richard Wachira Wambugu was allowed to leave King'ong'o Prison in Nyeri on June 22 after prosecutors said they did not intend to charge him with murder.

Mr Wambugu, 44, was met by human rights activists who offered to take him home.

He said: "I am happy to be free ... so much has changed."

Mr Wambugu has been on remand since July 25, 1983. His last court appearance was on July 9, 1985, when he was charged with murder but did not make a plea.

In 1991 and 1997, a psychiatrist declared him fit to stand trial for murder, but he was never charged.

Yesterday, Mr Wambugu was walked through the Nyeri by human rights activists, but said he could only remember some buildings, such as the post office and the police station.

He was later taken to his parents' home in Kiandu.