Gigiri Jailbreak: The Mystery Night Vehicle
A senior police officer and a junior colleague are the main suspects in the ongoing investigation into the escape of 13 detainees, including a suspected serial killer, from Gigiri police cells.
One duty officer, who held the cell keys, claimed he was asleep in an office for most of the night but remembered briefly waking up and hearing a vehicle outside.
In his statement, he insists he still had the keys when his colleague at the reporting desk checked on him around 3 am—the same time he heard the vehicle. His colleague mentioned that the boss had visited, but everything seemed fine.
Detectives are exploring whether the keys were taken from him while he slept or if the two officers had duplicate keys, allowing them to release the detainees, including 12 Eritreans suspected of paying for their freedom.
Among those who escaped was Collins Jumaisi Khalusha, who was arrested after mutilated bodies were discovered at the Kware dump site. How he managed to flee remains unclear.
Jumaisi had been held at the Gigiri cells for over a month.
Preliminary reports outlining the events leading up to the escape were submitted to police chiefs at Jogoo House and copied to Vigilance House, the police headquarters.
On the day of the breakout, 17 prisoners were in custody at Gigiri police cells, including 12 foreigners and four suspects detained for being drunk and disorderly.
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Two officers were stationed at the report office, while two others guarded the station.
A senior officer from Spring Valley police station was tasked with overseeing night operations at the station under the Westlands sub-county police command.
The senior officer was responsible for supervising activities at Runda, Gigiri, Spring Valley, and Parklands police stations.
His assignment included conducting routine checks at these stations, focusing on night operations and suspect counts.
Around midnight, the duty officer arrived at Gigiri station, inquiring about the number of suspects in the cells.
The report stated that when the senior officer arrived, only one of the two policemen on duty at the report office was present.
The officer did not inspect the cells but simply asked the report officer about the number of detainees before leaving.
Around 3 am, the Nairobi Area control room contacted the Gigiri station boss via the police pocket phone.
This call aligns with the standard morning call-up procedure, where police headquarters check in with station commanders for incident updates.
Up to that point, no one was aware of the prisoner’s escape.
It wasn’t until 5:30 am, when canteen staff arrived, that it was discovered only four suspects remained in the cells.
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A senior officer told the Nation that one of the report office officers later admitted to falling asleep while his colleague remained on watch.
The sleeping officer couldn’t explain how the detainees escaped, though he still possessed the cell keys.
Investigators suspect either a duplicate key was used, or the officer was dishonest.
The second officer claimed that while his colleague slept, he maintained vigilance and saw no one leaving the cells.
Police protocol dictates that when a suspect arrives at a station, the officer at the report office first records the arrival in the Occurrence Book (OB), noting the time and offense.
The suspect is then searched, and any valuables—such as phones, cash, and belts—are confiscated and logged for safekeeping.
The suspect is directed to the cells, with their details entered into the station’s cell register, which tracks those spending the night.
The cell register is used to order meals and conduct headcounts.
When a suspect leaves the cells, their departure is recorded in the OB, with the release authorized by the station commander or a designated officer.
The report office is guarded 24/7 by armed officers, making unauthorized exits nearly impossible.
On Thursday, five officers on duty during the escape were released by a Nairobi court on a Sh200,000 bond.
State prosecutor James Gachoka requested that the officers be detained for 14 days pending further investigation into the jailbreak.
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The prosecution sought their detention at Spring Valley, Runda, and Parklands stations as the investigation continued.
Lead investigator Benedict Kaulu told the court that more statements need to be recorded from over five witnesses.
The officers’ mobile phones have been submitted to the cybercrime unit at DCI headquarters for forensic analysis.
Acting Inspector General of Police Gilbert Masegeli confirmed that eight officers, including the Westlands sub-county police commander and Gigiri police station commander, have been interdicted to allow for thorough investigations.
Gigiri Jailbreak: The Mystery Night Vehicle
