Police have launched a manhunt for 13 suspects who escaped from custody after a lorry transporting them to court was involved in an accident in Transmara in Narok on Monday.
According to the Occurrence Book (OB) report accessed by Kenyans.co.ke on Wednesday, the lorry, ferrying 37 suspects, was en route to the Kilgoris Law Courts before encountering a tractor on the road.
Police documented that the tractor forced their lorry out of the road owing to its wide load of sugarcane. Thus, the driver of the police lorry lost control but veered off the road to save his occupants.
The lorry landed in a ditch on its left side, causing a commotion for both the occupants and the road users.
Police indicated that 13 who were facing charges of illegal mining took advantage of the confusion to flee the scene of the accident. However, 24 other suspects remained put.
"The accident occurred today at around 7:45 am along Enoosean- Kiango Murram road about 3km north of the Enoosean Police Station," read the police report.
"On reaching the location of the accident there was an oncoming side loader tractor ferrying sugarcane to Transmara Sugar factory that pushed the police lorry towards the edge of the road prompting him to lose control as he tried to control the motor vehicle."
Four police officers who were guarding the suspects sustained injuries during the incident, with one of the officers injuring his collarbone.
The majority of the suspects also sustained injuries to the chest and knees.
"Police visited the scene, and necessary action was taken. The injured were rushed to the Transmara Sub-County Hospital all in fair condition," read the police report in part.
At the time of publication, none of the escapees had been apprehended.
