How three terrorists escaped from Kamiti Maximum Prison

Detectives from the Serious Crimes Investigations Unit of the DCI spent the better part of Tuesday analysing the cell where three terror convicts escaped from at the Kamiti Maximum Prison.

The probe led by the Director of Criminal Investigations (DCI) George Kinoti revealed that the trio could have been aided by prison wardens to dislodge a brick on the wall of their cell before escaping.

Seven officers who were arrested and arraigned will continue being in custody for 25 days pending investigations.

The three fugitives are; Musharaf Abdalla alias Alex Shikanda (34) from Mumias, sentenced to 22 years in prison, Joseph Juma Odhiambo (30) from Matungu, serving 15 years for terror related crimes, and Mohammed Ali Abikar (35) serving a 41-year-jail term, having been convicted in 2019 with three others for their role in the Garissa University attack.

Detectives are trying to piece together how long it took for them to dislodge a brick from their cell wall. It is through the opening that sometimes they blocked using a card board that they made their way out, indicative of a plan hatched for a long time before it was executed.

They used blankets, strings and broomsticks to create makeshift ropes that they used to scale two high walls around the correctional facility.

But ironically, with the maximum security at Kamiti, none of the wardens heard the commotion or saw anything.

Detectives believe they worked in cahoots with unscrupulous prison wardens given that the wall appeared to have been drilled from both outside and inside.

Sources say the detectives also recovered a rusty chesle and razor blades believed to have been used to create the blanket ropes. The rust on the chesle suggesting that the brick could have been dislodged sometime back.

The investigations at the crime scene were led by the DCI Kinoti who declined to comment on the probe due to its sensitivity.

The events continue to give Kenya Prisons Commissioner General Wyclife Ogallo sleepless nights. Ogallo, who is yet to leave Kamiti Maximum Prison since the escape, came to the fore, continued with internal investigations and departmental meetings where he read the riot act to his officers.

Seven prison wardens suspected to have abated the escape were presented before court where detectives were granted their application to continue holding them for 25 days awaiting investigations.

Two senior officers at the prison recorded their statements at the DCI headquarters and were detained at Gigiri Police Station; they are expected to be arraigned Wednesday.

Monday night Interior Cabinet Secretary Dr. Fred Matiang’i led a delegation of all security chiefs at the maximum correctional facility where he expressed his dismay, warning Kenyans against collaborating with the convicts.

“We will deal very firmly and very decisively, not only with them but also with those that let such a thing happen,” said the CS.

He vowed to rally resources towards the recapture of the three terror convicts whose whereabouts are unknown.

The authorities have also made an appeal to the public, offering Ksh.20 million each for information about the three escapees, who have all been in jail for terrorism-related offences.