Five Kenyan police officers appeared in court on Wednesday, facing accusations of aiding the escape of Collins Jumaisi, a suspect charged with the gruesome murders of dozens of women from a Nairobi police station.
The dramatic escape has sparked outrage and intensified scrutiny on the integrity of law enforcement in Kenya.
LEADERSHIP reported that Jumaisi, 33, was arrested last month after a horrifying discovery of mutilated female bodies in a Nairobi slum. Described by police as a “vampire, a psychopath,” he allegedly confessed to murdering 42 women over two years, with his wife being his first victim. However, Jumaisi claimed that he was tortured following his arrest.
On Tuesday, police launched a manhunt after Jumaisi and 12 Eritrean nationals broke out of a police station in the upscale Gigiri district of Nairobi.
According to police reports, the detainees escaped by cutting through a wire mesh roof and scaling a perimeter wall.
Acting National Police Chief Gilbert Masengeli confirmed suspicions that the escape was an inside job, stating, “Our preliminary investigations indicate that the escape was aided by insiders.”
The five officers, including a female officer, appeared in court as prosecutors sought a 14-day detention order to continue investigations.
They were among eight officers arrested on Tuesday in connection with the escape, though it remains unclear if the remaining three will also face charges.
State prosecutor James Gachoka informed the court that several accomplices are still at large but did not provide further details.
The court is expected to rule on the custody request on Thursday.
LEADERSHIP also reported that the escape was discovered early Tuesday morning when officers went to serve breakfast to the detainees. “On opening the cell door, they discovered that 13 prisoners had escaped by cutting the wire mesh in the basking bay,” a police report detailed.
The 12 Eritrean nationals had been detained for being in Kenya illegally. Police revealed that four other detainees, who did not escape, are now assisting with the investigation.
The Gigiri police station, located in a district home to the regional headquarters of the United Nations and numerous embassies, has now become the focal point of this high-profile investigation.
This incident marks the second time in less than six months that a suspect in a major case has escaped custody in Kenya.
Earlier this year, Kevin Kangethe, accused of murdering his girlfriend in the United States, fled a police station before being recaptured a week later.
The escape of Jumaisi has reignited concerns about police accountability, especially after last month’s discovery of multiple female bodies and body parts in a dump near Mukuru, a Nairobi slum.
The grim find, just 100 meters from a police station, has led to investigations by Kenya’s Independent Police Oversight Authority to determine whether police were involved or failed to prevent the killings.
Kenya’s police force has faced repeated accusations from rights groups of unlawful killings and operating hit squads, yet few officers have been held accountable.
The escape of a suspected serial killer under police custody only deepens public distrust and calls for systemic reforms within the force.
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