Uhuru chairs crisis meet on terror convicts 'escape'

A crisis meeting was held Wednesday at State House over the 'jailbreak' of three inmates convicted of terror offences and likely aided by prison warders.

The security implications are alarming.

The situation is deeply disturbing if Kamiti Maximum Security Prison, the country's most secure, cannot contain the country's most dangerous convicts.

Further, indications the escape was aided by warders themselves  suggest the security system itself is lax and flawed. Despite vetting, those who are supposed to keep Kenyans safe are willing to expose them to  danger.

The President sacked commissioner general of prisons Wycliffe Ogalo. He was replaced by Brigadier (Rtd) John Kibaso Warioba.

Seven warders on Monday were arrested over the 'escape' and officials said there could be more arrests. Two more warders were arrested on Wednesday. 

The meeting chaired by President Uhuru Kenyatta brought together top Interior Ministry officials and prisons bosses.

Already, Kenya has deployed heavily armed police officers around key installations in response to twin suicide bomb blasts that rocked Kampala. At least six people were killed and 30 injured.

National police spokesman Bruno Shioso told the Star security has been heightened countrywide and multiple operations have been put in place to mitigate threats.

Authorities believe the escape of the three convicts who were serving jail terms for terrorism-related crimes was aided by wardens.

The three were being held at Block A, which holds some of the most dangerous criminals.

PRISON BREAK

It has emerged the three convicts left their cellmate because he is a PWD who cannot move unaided. There were four in the cell.  

 

Before leaving, the three convicts had removed a stone from the wall of their cell, revealing a cavity that contained items needed in their flight.

They used a rope made from pieces of clothes and an old rope, apparently taken there for the mission to scale two, 10-metre walls and drop into a field behind Block A 6.

 

They used blankets, twine and broomsticks to create makeshift ropes for their escape.

Pictures taken from the cell and the sites where the walls were scaled suggest the convicts helped each other to escape.

The officer in charge of the facility was also questioned over the escape and recorded a statement.

 

Police on Wednesday presented those arrested at the Kamiti law courts under a miscellaneous application and were allowed to hold them for 25 days as investigations go on.

They will be held at the Gigiri police cells during investigations.

Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i said preliminary investigations suggested the escape from  he most secured maximum prison facility in the country was abetted by laxity and incompetence.

If prisoners are  not secure at Kamiti, where are they secure? 

Matiang’i, who led a senior security team to Kamiti prison Monday evening, further announced a massive manhunt involving specialised teams.

The escapees are Musharraf Abdalla Akhulunga, alias  Zarkarawi, Mohammed Ali Abikar and Joseph Juma Odhiambo, alias Yusuf.

The Directorate of Criminal Investigations has placed Sh60 million bounty on their heads — Sh20 for each and authorities want them back alive  for questioning. 

Edited by D Tarus