DCI seeks 14 days to detain 5 police officers over suspects' escape at Gigiri police station

The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has made an application to detain five police officers arrested at the Gigiri police station for allegedly aiding suspected serial killer Collins Jumaisi and 12 others to escape from custody at the station.

The officers include Corporal Ronald Babo and police constables Gerald Mutuku and Evans Kipkirui.

Babo was the duty officer at the station while Mutuku and Kipkirui were in charge of the report office and cells respectively, at the time the suspects escaped on the night of August 20.

Others are police constables Mollent Achieng and Zachary Nyabuto who were working as the station guards on the night when the suspects escaped in the incident suspected to be an inside job.

All of them were arrested at the police station and detained after the dawn jailbreak when police reported that the inmates escaped after cutting a wire to free themselves from the cells.

Jumaisi escaped together with 12 Eritreans who had been detained for being unlawfully in Kenya.

Inspector of Police Benedict Kaulu of Gigiri DCI offices is seeking orders from the court to allow him to detain the five officers at Spring Valley, Runda and Parklands police stations for 14 days to aid in investigations.

IP Kaulu says he is investigating a case of aiding escape contrary to section 124 of the Penal Code reported under Occurrence Book (OB) number 5/20/08/2024 and OB 7/20/08/2024.

The investigations are meant to establish whether the police officers had a hand in the escape of the prisoners.

"There are accomplices who are still at large. The respondents (the five police officers in custody) have indicated their willingness to lead to their arrest which will be defeated should the respondents be released at the moment," stated Kaulu.

Kaulu told Principal Magistrate Martha Nanzushi of Milimani law courts that he needs more time to record statements from more than five witnesses.

The detective said the suspects' mobile phone and the CCTV footage at the station have been forwarded to the Cybercrime Unit at the DCI headquarters for analysis at the forensic lab.

Nanzushi will make a ruling on Wednesday (August 22) on the duration the suspects will be in custody. The officers will remain in cells at the station pending the ruling.