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You might think Peter Musabi Kihingu would be angry and bitter after spending years in prison. But Peter actually found freedom in captivity.

His first prison sentence came after he was falsely convicted of spying. After serving almost 6-1/2 years in prison, he was released. But six months later he was arrested again, and this time he was wrongly accused of stealing a gun and committing robberies.

"I remembered the first case where I was taken to prison just like that because somebody gave false evidence," said Peter. "I couldn't allow that to happen again a second time. Now I imagined myself going back to the prison, with the lousy food there, with the idea of sleeping on the floor, with all the lights streaming off the wall and the cockroaches. I said no, I can't go back there again."

Recaptured

134 years
So Peter escaped as he was being taken to court. One year later, while running from the police, he was shot and captured. This time, Peter was given prison sentences totaling 134 years.

"The commissioner of prisoners came there and said, 'This man should be put in the position as a segregated prisoner,'" said Peter. "'He is not supposed to be visited by anyone, not even his own relatives until five years are over.' They put big numbers across my chest, saying SWP, which meant, special watch prisoner.

Dangerous escapee

"Then they put red strips on my prison uniform, which indicated I was a dangerous escapee who should be watched very carefully. I just thought of destroying myself. I said, 'What's the point of staying in prison? Serving 134 years.'"

Suicide Plan Thwarted
Peter decided to commit suicide, but a prison warden discovered his plan when he found glass Peter was hiding under the bed covers.

Later that day, Peter was offered hope from an unlikely source -- a fellow prisoner who had come to clean his room.

Suicidal

"And he's singing a very interesting song," said Peter. "He's singing, 'Since I met the Lord Jesus Christ, I am happy. Since I met the Lord Jesus Christ, my life has changed. Since I met the Lord Jesus Christ I have a wonderful life in here. I'm a prisoner, but I am free.'"

Stop Singing
Peter jerked himself up into a sitting position and demanded that the man stop singing the song. "How can you sing a song that says you are happy, that you have peace in prison?" asked Peter.

Under constant guard

Simon Mwangi replied: "Kihingu you are asking me where I got this peace. I will tell you … When I came into this jail, I was a notorious criminal. But recently I met somebody called Christ. And he changed me. I may be in here physically, but spiritually I am a very free man. That is why I am singing here. I can afford to say Christ is my ord and Savior."

Peter thought Simon was misguided. "Brother, I think you are just mixed up," he said. "Look at me. Look at these handcuffs. Look at that broken leg. Look at that card on the door saying, 'Kihingu, prisoner here until the year 2018.'"

Simon persisted

He Will Remove Handcuffs
Despite Peter's anger, Simon continued telling him about Jesus. Simon even challenged Peter, saying: "Peter If you call Christ in here, which is what I have done, He will come in. He will change this situation. He will remove these handcuffs. He will remove these things they are putting on you, and you will go outside there and talk about it and will bring many people to know about the Lord."

That night, as prison wardens stood guard over Peter, he pulled the blanket over his head and prayed.

Peter Kihingu

"I said, 'You God of Mwangi. You God who can give Mwangi peace in jail to the extent that he can sing your praises here. Look at me. Mwangi said that you created me in your own image, that all I need to do is open my mouth and call on you. Where are you? Look at these handcuffs and these chains. Look at what the people are doing here. Change this.'"

Committed to Jesus
The next morning Peter told Simon that he asked Jesus Christ to change his life. One month later his sentence was reduced to just five years.

Telling others about freedom

"I shouted from my wheelchair," said Peter. "'The God of Mwangi -- you have done it!' Right there in court. The judges said, 'What is it?' I said, 'Your honor, I am just saying something here. The God of somebody named Mwangi has done what He promised He would.'"

Three months later Peter received even better news.

"There was a message," said Peter, "'Kihingu, get out and go home. The president has ordered all prisoners with less than six months to go home.'"

Helping Ex-Prisoners
Since then, Peter has been telling others about the freedom he found while in prison. He also plans to build a rehabilitation center for ex-prisoners.

Everything changes

"If you told me 20 years ago that I would be serving the Lord today, I would have refused to believe you," said Peter. "But the goodness of the Lord is that all that was the old Kihingu is gone. Because when you know Christ, everything that was in you changes.

"It's not the old Kihingu who lives, but Christ who lives in me… Even if I met the man who shot me in the leg, I would buy him a cup of coffee, and tell him, 'Brother, thank you for shooting me, because by shooting me, I went back to prison.'"