“I drank only water for two days”- Tems narrates her prison experience in Uganda

Tems said her little cell in prison consisted simply of a floor, some blankets, and some tissues. She was isolated from the outside world for two exhausting days and was unaware of her surroundings

Tems recently opened up about her terrifying arrest and confinement to a tiny prison room in Uganda.

She described her experience to Angie Martinez during an interview. When she was brought up from her hotel, she believed it was a prank at first, but when she was given a smelly, dirty jail outfit, the truth set in. She was afraid she might not survive.

Tems said her little cell in prison consisted simply of a floor, some blankets, and some tissues. She was isolated from the outside world for two exhausting days and was unaware of her surroundings. She even believed that her jail ministry may serve a function in aiding others.

When she received her foul-smelling uniform, she couldn’t hold back tears. Despite her hope, she didn’t know when or if she would be released.

She bonded with other women in the prison, many of whom were held for trivial reasons, some due to corruption involving prison guards.

“I thought I wasn’t gonna come out. I thought I was seeing it for a reason like maybe I was meant to help the people. I was settling in because I adapted real quick and as I was walking in I started to cry because they gave me my uniform and it stunk because they don’t wash it. It was a small room and there was nothing, there’s just the floor they give you blankets and tissues and you’re just on the floor, no bed and I did it for two days. I didn’t even know I was going to get out, I didn’t have any ears on the ground nobody told me anything. Outside everyone was like ‘free Tems, free Omah lay but inside I was just hopeful, waiting.”

Tems mentioned that the women’s prison had strict rules, including the requirement to kneel when speaking to officials and receiving food only once a day. She chose to survive on water, not eating any food during her time there.

This ordeal occurred after a concert in Uganda on December 12, 2020, where Tems and another artist were charged with violating COVID-19 guidelines. Riley’s Entertainment news provides a detailed account of this distressing experience.