Three terrorists who had escaped from Kamiti Maximum Security Prisons before being recaptured will be held at another high security installation for 10 days.
A court sitting at Kamiti allowed police to move them to the Anti-Terorr Police Unit cells for the period as investigators probe their escape from the prison.
A magistrate allowed police to move them from maximum security facility to among others avoid interference from some of wardens who are under probe over the escape.
The same court also allowed police to hold six other wardens for another week in custody as they investigate them over the November 15 escape.
Seven others are in custody for 25 days since November 17 over the probe.
ATPU cells are well secured.
Police continued with the investigation into the incident that led to changes in leadership of the prisons.
Two damaged mobile phones recovered from a scene near where the three terrorists who had escaped custody were arrested hold the key to the planning of their escape.
This includes information on how the terrorists got money to enable their movements from Kamiti to Kamuluyuni village, deep in Kitui county.
The mobile phones data will also tell how the three, Musharraf Abdalla, Joseph Juma Odhiambo and Mohammed Ali Abikar were moved from the city.
Reports suggest they had “a lot” money on them before they were captured last Thursday as they sought direction to Boni Forest, Lamu county.
And police believe the three were in communication with unknown men who were waiting to pick them in Masalani area, few kilometers away from where they were caught.
The identity of the people who were to pick the three is part of what police want to establish.
Their interception happened about eight kilometers from their intended destination of Kalamba where herders from Garissa and Wajir counties flock for pasture for their animals.
Multi agency teams are involved in the probe to establish how the terror network is still active even in prison where officials say radicalism is a problem.
Two mobile phones belonging to the terrorists were recovered in a thicket in Mutanda area, Nuu, Kitui county.
The two damaged phones had been thrown in the thicket alongside a piece of paper with numbers written self and wife which indicates the terrorists were handed the gadgets as they left jail.
Police are analysing the exhibits for further information.
Preliminary findings show the three were facilitated with a private car from Kamiti to Machakos county after which they were left to use public service vehicles to Kitui then Endau area of Mwingi East.
The three have told police they were facilitated by people they do not know.
From Endau they hired motorbikes that they used in moving.
The terrorists said they feared using the main road from Nairobi to Garissa because it is heavily manned.
The shopping centres they landed at are small that a stranger can be noticed.
This forced them to walk on the roadsides as they sought directions to Boni Forest, bought bread and milk for their supper.
Wednesday afternoon, thirst struck and Musharraf was sent to a watering point where he came across a woman who identified him.
The woman with others notified administrators who had already gotten wind of information on the presence of strangers.
The three claimed they were there for charcoal burning, and that Abikar was their boss.
Police say they will honour their pledge of awarding a cash prize to Kenyans who aided a multi agency security team in the arrest of the terrorists.
Inspector General of Police Hilary Mutyambai said that the government will now commence a verification process in order to ensure that the reward goes to, “deserving recipients”.
“The government intends to honour its pledge on the cash reward offer. This will however be subject to due verification process to ensure the reward goes to deserving recipients,” said Mutyambai.
He added the security nature of the incident and the risk of harm to those who genuinely aided the capture of the convicts may militate against a full public disclosure of the eventual beneficiaries of the cash reward.
He said the rearrest of the suspects was made possible with the support from the public.
Accounts of several people who separately claim to have played a role in the capture have been reported extensively in the media which now requires further checks before the payment of the Sh60 million is made.
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) placed a Sh60 million bounty on their recapture of the convicts upon provision of crucial information from members of the public.
There have been several claims by individuals to authorities seeking the bounty.
A team has since been sent to the ground in Kitui where the three terrorists were recaptured three days later as they headed for Somalia.
The team is supposed to talk to witnesses and authorities as they probe the matter. They are among others supposed to know who spotted the men first what the individuals did.
The three terrorists were arrested as they escaped to Somalia.
On Wednesday, President Uhuru Kenyatta sacked Wycliffe Ogalo as the Commissioner-General of the Kenya Prisons Service.
This follows the breach in security at the Kamiti which led to the escape of three terror convicts.
Kenyatta appointed and witnessed the swearing-in of Ogalo’s successor, Brigadier (Rtd) John Kibaso Warioba.
The Head of State made the decision on the back of a briefing from the ministry responsible for correctional services regarding the Kamiti Maximum Security Prison escape.
Abikar was charged and convicted in 2019 over his links to Al-Shabaab and for abetting the Garissa University attack of April 2015 that left 148 people dead while Odhiambo was arrested in 2019 for trying to join the Somali terror group.
Akhulunga was arrested in 2012 over a foiled attack on Kenya’s parliament and charged with possessing explosives, ammunition and firearms.
Warioba has since visited major prisons facilities in the city and announced leadership changes.
Nicholas Maswai was moved to Eastern as the commander; Dickson Mwakazi was moved and named director of legal, Patrick Arandu head of Central region, James Too head of logistics and Josephine Mwanza was posted to prisons college.
Edited by CM
