The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has intensified efforts to rearrest suspected serial killer Collins Jumaisi Khalusha, who, alongside 12 other detainees, escaped from Gigiri Police Station earlier this week. The daring jailbreak has sparked outrage and suspicion, with authorities now focusing on what appears to be an inside job.
The brazen escape, which occurred in the early hours of Monday, has raised serious questions about the integrity of the police officers stationed at Gigiri. New details indicate that Jumaisi, a man accused of killing 42 women, and his co-escapees did not flee under the cover of darkness but simply walked out of the precinct's main door.
This happened under the watchful eyes of two police officers on night shift duty, who, according to eyewitness accounts, may have been complicit in the escape.
DCI has now offered a significant cash reward for any information that could lead to the re-arrest of Jumaisi. "A significant cash reward will be provided to anyone with credible information leading to the suspect's arrest," the agency stated in a notice published in the Daily Nation on Thursday, August 22. The agency is appealing to the public to assist in what has now become a high-stakes manhunt for the dangerous fugitive.
Investigations into the jailbreak have taken a sharp turn, with detectives zeroing in on the mobile phone records and financial transactions of the police officers who were on duty that night. The forensic analysis of these communications is expected to shed light on the possible involvement of the officers in facilitating the escape.
A senior DCI officer, speaking to Nation on condition of anonymity, confirmed, “A number of phones, which include those of the officers and other suspects, are being analysed with the aim of finding out what happened.”
What has shocked the public even more are the revelations from a fellow detainee, who witnessed the escape firsthand. The suspect, who had been arrested for fraud, recounted how the officers on duty seemed unusually lenient, allowing him to keep money in his possession—a rare occurrence in Kenyan police cells. He also noted that around midnight, the duty officer conducted a roll call, after which he left the cell doors unlocked. This careless act provided Jumaisi and the other detainees with the perfect opportunity to escape.
The witness further revealed that all 13 suspects, including Jumaisi, were already outside their cell cubes when he arrived at the station around 9pm. Jumaisi had been unchained, his cell door opened, and the handcuffs that had restrained him were found discarded in his empty cell. The ease with which the escape was executed has only deepened suspicions of police collusion.
Adding to the controversy, the witness claimed he saw one of the Eritrean detainees hand money to the police officers before they announced they were heading to the canteen. One of the officers, he alleged, appeared to be intoxicated—a detail that aligns with reports from insiders who mentioned a corporal known for reporting to duty while drunk. With the officers conveniently absent, the 13 detainees simply walked out of the station, unchallenged.
The audacity of the escape came to light when a woman, tasked with serving breakfast to the detainees at around 6am, discovered the cells nearly empty. Alarmed, she quickly informed the officers on duty, setting off a chain of events that eventually led to the involvement of senior police officials.
In response to the jailbreak, the DCI has launched an all-out manhunt, not only for Jumaisi but also for the 12 Eritrean nationals who accompanied him in the escape. The Cyber Crime Unit of the DCI has been roped in to analyse CCTV footage from neighbouring premises, hoping to piece together the events of that fateful night.
The five police officers implicated in the escape, including a corporal and several constables, have been detained across various police stations in Nairobi as investigations continue.
Acting Inspector-General of Police, Gilbert Masengeli, has termed the incident as a clear case of an inside job. "I have interdicted eight officers who were on duty last night," Masengeli announced, confirming the preliminary findings that suggest the officers either facilitated or directly participated in the escape.
The identities of the Eritrean escapees have since been released, and their photos plastered across the country as the DCI tightens its net. The breakout has also cast a harsh spotlight on the security protocols at Gigiri Police Station, a facility located in a high-security area, near the U.S. Embassy.
In the days following the escape, tensions have been palpable within the police force. Officers who reported to work the following morning were reportedly shocked to learn that their colleagues had not only allowed the detainees to escape but had also attempted to cover up the incident.
The fallout from this escape is expected to be far-reaching. With the DCI and other law enforcement agencies under intense pressure to recapture the fugitives, the focus has now shifted to rooting out the rot within the police service.
