Three police officers arrested for allegedly aiding escape of serial killer Masten Wanjala

Police Inspector Philip Mbithi and Police Constables Boniface Mutuma and Precious Mwende all of Jogoo Police Station are in custody.

The three, who were arrested by their colleagues from the Nairobi Regional Criminal Investigations Office are expected in court.

They will be charged with aiding escape from lawful custody and neglect of official duty contrary to section 124 and 128 of the Penal code respectively.

Wanjala, who is linked to the murder of more than 10 minors, escaped from police custody on Wednesday. He was being held at Jogoo Road Police Station in Nairobi.

The duty officer noticed that Wanjala was missing at around 7 am on Wednesday. He was expected in court that morning to face 13 counts of murder.

Buruburu Sub-County Police Commander Francis Kamau said Wanjala escaped in unclear circumstances Tuesday night with reports indicating that he could have escaped during dinner time or thereafter as there was a power blackout at the station between 3pm and 8pm.

Wanjala was last seen between 6pm and 7pm having his dinner in the cell with seven other inmates.

The suspects were having dinner in darkness as there was no light. At around 10pm the eight inmates were joined by 10 other inmates who had been arrested by police officers .

An hour later two more remandees were brought in bringing the total number of remandees to 20.

A roll call taken by an officer who reported on duty eight hours later at 7am revealed that Wanjala was missing although all the other inmates were in the cell.

The officer informed his two colleagues who were on duty and they said they did not know how he escaped as there were no signs of breakage in the cell.

The mysterious escape raising the question of how a self-confessed murderer managed to escape from a highly secure police station manned by armed police officers at the gate round the clock.