By BARNABAS ZULU
Miles Sampa has disclosed that he has been blocked from visiting TikTok blogger Francis Kapwepwe, also known as Why Me, who has remained incarcerated at Livingstone Prison for almost a year without being given bail for allegedly insulting President Hakainde Hichilema.According to Mr Sampa, the Matero law maker, prison authorities in Livingstone informed him that he would need a written letter from the police in order to visit Why Me, who has been in prison for nearly a year.Sampa, in a statement narrated his attempts to locate and visit the young man over the Christmas period, explaining that he and his family had been trying to find Why Me, whose real name is Francis Kapwepwe, after learning about his tragic backstory. “He called himself ‘Why Me’ because he survived a car crash as a child, in which both his parents and sister died. He lived to ask himself why he survived,” Sampa shared.Sampa noted that the 17-year-old’s arrest nearly a year ago had remained shrouded in mystery, with no clear information about the crime he committed. “What I have been told is that it is a bailable offense, but he hasn’t been granted bail,” Sampa explained.The lawmaker, motivated by the Christian call to visit those in prison as outlined in the Bible embarked on a journey to visit Why Me and bring him Christmas presents. He explained that his search began at Kalomo prison in Southern Province, and later took them to Katombora Juvenile Prison in Kazungula District but he evantually located Why Me at the Livingstone prison.He narrated that upon arriving at the prison gates, he was told to go to a different entrance to obtain a written pass to see Why Me. “After receiving the pass, they returned to the main gate, where they were told they needed permission from the Livingstone Police Station to proceed. Sampa and his family drove the 4 kilometers to the police station, where officers granted them verbal permission to visit the prisoner,” he narrated.“The sentry at the gate slammed the entrance gate and after some phone calls, he came back and said we needed a written letter from the police to see ‘Why Me,'” Sampa recalled, visibly frustrated.He questioned the legal basis for the prison’s actions. “Which part of the Zambian constitution are they using that states prison officers now report to police stations? Once someone is arrested and handed over to prison authorities while their case is in court, all rights over the suspect are with the prison authorities, not the police, ZNS, Army, or ZAF,” he said.He expressed dismay at the denial of visitation, especially considering the fact that he had previously visited high-profile prisoners such as GBM and Bowman Lusambo. “Why can’t I be allowed to visit this poor boy, who has nothing or no family to look out for him?” Mr Sampa wondered.Sampa also expressed concern over the nature of Why Me’s crime, which was reportedly insulting President Hichilema during a live TikTok session.
