Eight police officers arrested over Kware suspect’s escape from police station

Eight police officers have been arrested in connection with the escape of Collins Jumaisi, a key suspect in the murder of women found dumped in Kware, Embakasi.

Among them are the Gigiri sub-county commander, Officer Commanding Station, report officers and other officials of the Gigiri Police Station accused of aiding and abating crime.

National Police Service Acting Inspector General Gilbert Masengeli, after a daylong meeting at Gigiri Police Station with senior security officers from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations, announced the dismissal and detention of the officers.

The officers also face job loss and detention following the escape of 12 other Eritrean illegal migrants from the same cell where Jumaisi was detained.

“Our primary investigation indicates that the escape was aided by insiders. I have consequently interdicted eight officers who were on duty during the escape,” said Masengeli, who was accompanied by the Director of Criminal Investigations (DCI) Amin Mohamed and Kenya Police Service boss and Deputy IG Eliud Langat, among others.

Masengeli also announced the manhunt for the detainees who escaped from custody. Four out of the seventeen inmates who failed to escape are helping police officers with investigations.

“We are conducting investigations to ascertain the circumstances of the escape, including examining CCTV footage for more details regarding the incident,” he added.

Acting IG Gilbert Masengeli addresses the media at Jogoo House, Nairobi, on August 7, 2024. (Photo: Justine Ondieki)

A police report obtained by The Eastleigh Voice, OB 05/20/08/2024, indicated that the matter was reported by police officers Evans Kipkirui and Gerald Mutuku, who were manning the cells.

According to their account, they had conducted their routine cell check alongside the canteen manager to serve breakfast to the inmates when they realised that the inmates had fled.

“The scene has been visited by sub-county police officer Gigiri, who found out that the escape was granted through an opening on the wire mesh roof at the basking,” the police report read.

He detailed that the killings occurred between 2022 and July 11, 2024, with the bodies being similarly killed, wrapped, and discarded. Amin characterised Jumaisi as a “psychopathic serial killer who lacks regard for human life.”

In addition, Amin reported that police detained another individual linked to Jumaisi, who was tracked down through a mobile phone belonging to one of the victims, who had been identified at the city mortuary on Sunday.