On Tuesday, the Kenyan police found themselves in a scandalous situation as they arrested eight of their own officers and initiated a manhunt following the escape of a man accused of the heinous murders and dismemberment of 42 women. The suspect, along with a dozen other individuals, managed to break free from a police cell in Nairobi.
The escapees include Collins Jumaisi, a 33-year-old notorious criminal, who has been described by law enforcement officials as a “vampire, a psychopath.” His arrest occurred last month, following the alarming discovery of dismembered bodies in a dump located within a slum area of the Kenyan capital, raising major concerns regarding public safety and the efficacy of the police force.
Reports indicate that Jumaisi and the other twelve escapees, all of whom are Eritrean nationals, appeared to have executed their escape plan by cutting through a wire mesh roof situated at the police station during the night, an act suggesting coordination and premeditation. The situation has placed substantial pressure on the police, prompting immediate actions to address the breach in custody.
Acting national police chief Gilbert Masengeli outlined the developing situation in a statement, noting that preliminary investigations revealed that the escape was likely aided by individuals within the police force itself. As a direct consequence of this alarming discussion, he confirmed that the eight officers who were on duty at the time of the escape have been suspended and are now in custody. He emphasized that the Internal Affairs Unit is actively conducting a thorough investigation into the incident to gather facts and determine accountability.
According to police accounts, the breakout was discovered during a routine morning check around 5 am when officers visited the cells to serve breakfast to the detainees. Upon opening the door to the cell, they were shocked to find that 13 prisoners, including Jumaisi, had fled by cutting through the wire mesh in what is referred to as the basking bay—a covered courtyard area designed for detainees to receive fresh air.
The twelve Eritrean nationals had previously been taken into custody for illegally residing in Kenya, highlighting another layer of complexity surrounding this escape. Additionally, police mentioned that four other individuals who were scheduled to remain in custody did not escape and are currently assisting investigators in piecing together the details of the incident.
The police station from which they escaped is located in the affluent Gigiri district of Nairobi, an area known for housing the regional headquarters of the United Nations and numerous embassies, raising further concerns about security in such a prominent zone.
This incident marks the second time in just six months that a suspect involved in a high-profile case has managed to evade police custody. In February, a Kenyan national by the name of Kevin Kangethe, who is accused of murdering his girlfriend in the United States and then leaving her body in an airport car park, also managed to escape from a police facility before being recaptured about a week later.
Jumaisi had appeared in a court in the Kenyan capital just last Friday, where a magistrate issued an order for him to remain in custody for an additional 30 days. This extension was granted to allow police the necessary time to complete their investigations into the serious allegations against him. Following his arrest on July 15, Mohamed Amin, the head of the Directorate of Criminal Investigations, stated that Jumaisi had confessed to murdering 42 women over a disturbing two-year period, claiming that his wife was the first victim in this series of atrocities. Amin previously characterized Jumaisi as “a vampire, a psychopath,” underlining the extreme nature of his crimes.
During a conversation with reporters, Jumaisi revealed that he had been molested and tortured, a disturbing claim made by his lawyer to AFP last month, indicating potential systemic failures within the justice system that warrant further scrutiny. Authorities discovered ten butchered female bodies, which were found tied up in plastic bags located in a dump situated in an abandoned quarry within the Mukuru slum of Nairobi. This shocking revelation prompted a wave of horror across Kenya, a nation already grappling with the devastating aftermath of the so-called Shakahola forest massacre, where over 400 bodies were unearthed from mass graves near the coastline.
A cult leader in Kenya has been accused of encouraging his followers to starve themselves to death in anticipation of the end of the world in an effort to “meet Jesus.” This individual now faces a multitude of charges, including terrorism, murder, and child cruelty, alongside a large number of co-defendants, which has further tarnished the reputation of Kenyan law enforcement agencies.
The grim discovery of the bodies in Mukuru not only horrified citizens but also shone a renewed spotlight on the Kenyan police force, especially since the bodies were located just 100 meters away from a police station, raising serious questions about the effectiveness of local law enforcement. The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) indicated in July that it would be conducting its own investigations into the Mukuru case, emphasizing the necessity of ruling out any potential extrajudicial killings that may have occurred amidst the chaos.
Moreover, the Independent Police Oversight Authority, Kenya’s police watchdog, has announced that it is actively investigating whether there was any involvement or negligence on the part of the police in connection with the killings associated with Jumaisi’s case. Kenyan police have long faced accusations from human rights groups regarding unlawful killings and allegations of operating hit squads, yet few instances have resulted in officers facing actual justice for such criminal behavior. The ongoing investigations into these incidents may potentially serve as a critical turning point in addressing systemic issues within the Kenyan police force.
