A Magistrates Court on Thursday released five police officers under investigation connection with the escape of serial Kware murder suspect Collins Jumaisi and 12 others from custody on a personal bond of Sh200,000.
Magistrate Martha Naanzushi declined an application by the police to detain their own for 14 days saying there were no compelling reasons to warrant the same.
She directed the five to be reporting to the DCI twice a week as the investigations are ongoing.
The five were Wednesday presented in court in connection with the escape of the suspects.
The prosecution sought 14 days to detain the five police officers stationed at Gigiri police station.
The 14 days is to allow them conclude investigations against the five.
Corporal Ronald Babo, constables Evans Kipkirui, Mollent Achieng, Zachary Nyabuto and Gerald Mutuku are being investigated for allegedly aiding escape of prisoners who were held at the station.
“The respondents were arrested after the escape of 13 remandees who were in custody for various offences ,” reads the application.
The court was told that the five respondents were on duty the day the prisoners escaped.
“The investigations in the matter are not yet complete, the respondents mobile phones have been presented to cyber crime unit based at DCI HQ for forensic lab for further analysis,” reads the application.
The prosecution said there are other accomplices who are still at large and the five police officers have indicated there willingness to lead to their arrests .
Jumaisi and 12 other Eritreans escaped from Gigiri police station in what officials have termed as an inside job.
Acting Inspector General of police Gilbert Masengeli said among those interdicted included the Gigiri Sub County Police Commander, OCS Gigiri Police Station, Duty Officer, Duty NCO, Station Guards and Report Office Personnel.
“Our preliminary investigations indicate that the escape was aided by insiders, considering that officers were deployed accordingly to guard the station.”
“Consequently, I have interdicted eight officers who were on duty last night,” he said.
Masengeli said the matter is currently under investigation by Internal Affairs Unit, and any person found culpable will face the law.
“We have launched a manhunt to re-arrest the escapees. We further appeal to members of public with any information that may lead to the re-arrest of the suspects especially the murder suspect, Collins Jumaisi Kalusha to report to the nearest police station or through the police hotline numbers 999, 112, 911, and 0800 722 203,” he said.
There were 17 suspects in custody at the time of the incident. Only four remained and have all been interrogated.
They said they did not know how the suspects escaped as they were a sleep then. Another suspect claimed the suspects walked to their freedom through the report office.
Police came to know of what happened as they woke up the suspects in custody for morning tea. That was at about 5 am.
They had escaped at about 3 am.
Gigiri police station is one of the modern stations in the country. It is hard to break out of the station cells given the only exit there is through the report office.
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